'Jaw dropping' cases behind crime rise, commissioner says

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-33224062

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A child brushing a stinging nettle on his friend's arm was recorded as actual bodily harm by police.

Norfolk's police commissioner claimed this and other "jaw-dropping" cases explained why the county saw the highest increase in crime in the UK.

The force saw a 14% jump in the amount of total recorded crime between 2013 and 2014.

"I think the people of Norfolk would like reassurances over what's behind this rise," Stephen Bett said.

Other incidents recorded as violent crimes included a woman throwing a biscuit at a man and a child swinging a loose boxing glove into his younger sibling.

Mr Bett said due to a change in the way police had to record certain crimes, some incidents were falling into the violent crime category.

'Fear of crime'

"The last thing I want to do is to trivialise any incident where there is a victim, but I am struggling to see how someone being hit by a biscuit or brushed by a stinging nettle fits anyone's idea of a violent crime," he said.

"There is a danger that when people see a raw headline that 'violent crime is up in Norfolk' the fear of crime could rise.

"That is why I feel it is important to highlight this issue and make people aware."

Norfolk Police told the BBC it would not be making a comment in response to Mr Betts' observations.