ALARM OVER HUGE RISE IN STREET CRIME AND THEFTS

Muggings and robberies have risen by 28 per cent in the past year despite
overall crime levels staying stable, official figures revealed yesterday.

Two surveys published by the Home Office a " one from the police and one of
the public a " reveal how crime in Britain is changing, with some offences
soaring and others falling.

Burglaries have increased for the first time since 1993 but there have been
welcome drops in violent and sexual offences.

The total number of crimes recorded by the police has jumped by 7 per cent
to 5.52 million, but new methods of counting mean that the real rise is
only 2 per cent, according to the Home Office.

The British Crime Survey, a separate study of 33,000 members of the public,
which is considered more accurate, shows that crime fell by 2 per cent in
the 12 months to April, to just under 13 million.

The Home Office said the figures showed that the overall rate had
stabilised after five years of falling crime. However, the Conservatives
accused the Government of "statistical manipulation".

While the publication of two sets of conflicting reports is confusing, the
overall figures reveal encouraging trends for the Government and police a "
but also an alarming rise in robberies being committed, largely, by drug
addicts and youngsters stealing mobile phones.

Robbery was up 28 per cent to more than 121,000 incidents. This included a
31 per cent rise in robbery of personal property. Some 82 per cent of all
robberies took place in just 10 police force areas, although this type of
offence still accounts for only 2 per cent of all crime.

The Prime Minister has pledged to bring street crime under control by
September after initiating a "cross-Government" action plan.

The Home Office said that initiatives run by the Metropolitan Police, which
has to deal with 44 per cent of the country's robberies, were starting to
have an impact on the crime spree. The 2 per cent rise in overall recorded
crime is the second increase in the total number of offences in the past
seven years. Under the new counting system, crimes such as vandalism and
minor assaults, which used to go unrecorded, are now included.

Using the adjusted figures, recorded offences involving violence dropped by
about 5 per cent. Murders were up 4 per cent, attempted murders up 21 per
cent. The total number of sexual offences declined by about 8 per cent
under the adjusted system. This includes, however, a 14 per cent rise in
reported rapes of women and an 11 per cent rise in reported rapes of men.

Burglary was up by about 5 per cent. There were also slight rises in
vehicle offences. The second report, the British Crime Survey, showed that
crime was down 22 per cent since 1997 and by 14 per cent in the past two
years.David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, said: "The statistics indicate
the overall crime levels were stable last year. The crimes that affect most
people, burglary and vehicle crime, remain at the lower levels seen after
the significant reductions in recent years.

"While most crime continues to fall or remain at lower levels, I am
concerned about the significant rise that we have seen in robbery offences."

Oliver Letwin, the shadow Home Secretary, said: "No amount of statistical
manipulation can conceal what everyone on the estates in our inner cities
already knows a " that it is the gangs and the drug dealers rather than the
forces of law and order that are in charge.

"Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "Levels
of crime may be stable but they are still far too high. Only sensible,
long-term policies will bring further reductions."