More violent crimes per head in Yorkshire than in London, new figures show

Knife crime has increased by 16 per cent across England and Wales

Figures for the year to March have sparked fresh concern over rises in serious violence. The number of recorded homicides - which includes murder, manslaughter and infanticide - showed a fourth consecutive rise across England and Wales, up by 12 per cent year-on-year.

In findings that will prompt renewed focus of police and government efforts to tackle serious violence, the data also showed that knife crime rose by 16 per cent, reaching a seven-year high.

However, the number of police officers in England and Wales was 122,404 at the end of March, the lowest number since comparable records started in 1996.

Nearly half of investigations into recorded crimes are closed without a suspect being identified - a similar level to last year - while the proportion of offences resulting in a charge or summons fell slightly to nine per cent.

Home Affairs Committee chairman and Pontefract, Normanton and Castleford MP Yvette Cooper said the data was “very disturbing”.

She said: “These figures are extremely serious. A 12 per cent increase in homicide, a 16 per cent increase in knife crime to its highest ever recorded level, a further drop in police officers to their lowest level in decades, and a big drop in the number of cases brought to charge all mean urgent action is needed. Violent crime is going up. But the number of police officers, and justice for victims are both going down.”

Policing Minister Nick Hurd, said while the likelihood of falling victim remained low, every violent crime was “a significant concern and the Government is taking decisive action to tackle it”.

Concern over serious violence intensified this year after a spate of fatal stabbings and shootings, with London in particular badly hit by bloodshed.

However, the figures show that violent crime rates per head are higher in Yorkshire than in London.

Yorkshire had the country’s second highest number of violent crimes per 1,000 people, after the North East.

Violent crime rose by 24 per cent in Yorkshire, although this is partly thought to be down to better recording.

The number of homicides in Yorkshire fell slightly, from 66 in 2016/17 to 60 in 2017/18.

West Yorkshire has the second highest violent crime rate per head of all police forces in England and Wales, after Kent.

Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Hankinson said they were undertaking a lot of work to prevent organised crime and had set up a special team to “investigate serious violent crime linked to the use of guns”.

South Yorkshire, which suffered a spate of stabbings earlier this year, saw violent crime increase by 35 per cent.

Its Police and Crime Commissioner, Alan Billings, said the force had a strategy to “combat knife crime through a targeted and proportionate use of stop-and-search”.

North Yorkshire Police retains its position as the force with the lowest number of overall crimes per head in the country.