Call for crime figures overhaul

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A report is to call for radical changes to the way crime figures in England and Wales are compiled.

The independent review, commissioned by ex-home secretary Charles Clarke, was carried out by leading statisticians, police officials and criminologists.

It is expected to show problems with the British Crime Survey (BCS) - which the Home Office claims is the most reliable indicator of crime levels.

But review chairman Adrian Smith says the BCS is "losing credibility".

'Restore public confidence'

National crime figures include data from two sources - offences recorded by police and interviews with householders about their experience of crime from the British Crime Survey.

Recent results from the survey has suggested crime has fallen to its lowest level for 25 years.

However, Professor Smith said the survey was beginning to "lose credibility" because it does not include the full range of criminality, such as commercial crime and offences against under-16s.

Mr Smith, who believes the survey needs to be "amended", has now called for the process to be made "more independent to restore public confidence".

The review also recommends that local crime figures be published monthly or weekly to give people "an up-to-date picture of what's happening in their own neighbourhood".

The report comes after it was revealed last month that criminologists were trying to find a way to measure crime in England and Wales to tackle confusion over the two sets of figures.