Grayling warns increase in serious crime paints "worrying picture"

Chris Grayling has warned the latest crime statistics for England and Wales paint a “worrying picture” of rising levels of serious crimes.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics and the Home Office show an increase in robberies involving knives, domestic burglaries, drug offences and a 25 per cent rise in theft from the person.

Chris, the Shadow Home Secretary, said the statistics were an “alarming step in the wrong direction” and stressed the rise in knife robberies “undermined” Labour’s claims to be getting to grips with knife crime.

The figures also highlight Labour's failure to tackle antisocial behaviour: problems with people being drunk or rowdy in public places has increased, and the remaining measures of antisocial behaviour are largely unchanged.

Chris said, “All of this underlines the need for the Government to stop wrapping up our police in unnecessary paperwork and get more officers back on to the streets.”