#uk-crime

#uk-crime

In 2023, a report from the Police Executive Research Forum called for police to put the brakes on car chases unless a violent crime has been committed and the suspect poses an imminent threat. The report noted a spike in fatalities and an increase in pursuits by some departments, including in Houston and New York City.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams expressed condolences, stating, 'My thoughts remain with the victim's family and loved ones, as well as those in the community who have been affected by this incident.'

Stuart Andrew Westwood, 38, of no fixed abode, entered the supermarket on Millbrook Road West and began filling a carrier bag with products on 21 January. He immediately became aggressive as staff approached and challenged him, and took several needles from his pocket and began threatening the shop workers.

The teenager stole cosmetic products from Boots branches in Westminster, Lambeth, Camden and Kensington and Chelsea, as well as Holland & Barrett stores in Hammersmith and Fulham and in Camden.

There is an "epidemic of everyday crime", the Home Secretary says, such as shoplifting and phone theft. It reminds Shabana Mahmood of the years when she worked on the till in her parents' corner shop, with a cricket bat under the counter ready to deter shoplifters who stole, time and again. While overall crime has been going down in recent years those types of offences have been going up, matched by rising public anxiety.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show 499 homicides were recorded by police in the 12 months to September 2025, a drop of 7% year on year from 539. These are the lowest overall homicide figures since records were first recorded in 2003. Homicide involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales has fallen by 23% to 174 in the year.

EPA A man has been charged with a string of sex attacks against women and girls in south London, with some dating back to 2003. Adebayo Adeyemi, 58, has been charged with 33 offences, including rape and sexual assault, alleged to have taken place between 2003 and 2019. The charges include six counts of rape, an attempted rape, an assault, 21 counts of sexual assault and four indecent assaults, the Metropolitan Police said.