Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the latest quarterly crime statistics from the ONS, said:

“These figures may give the public false reassurance and do not tell the full story. Police recorded crime is rising with the biggest increases coming in some of the most serious areas. There has been a major increase in sexual offences and significant increases in violence and knife possession.

“Today’s figures fail to include online crime. Crime has changed and moved online in recent years but the official figures have still not caught up with that. The ONS has estimated there have been 5.1 million incidents of fraud and when they are added in in the next survey, the picture will look very different indeed.

“If the public had the true picture about crime in England and Wales, they would be up in arms about plans in the Government Spending Review to cut our police services back to the bone.

“I say to the Tories – this is no time to cut the Police. If the Government proceed with their proposed cuts, community safety would be put at risk and victims of crime left abandoned. Only this week, the Chief Constable of Lancashire has warned that his force would be ‘unviable’ and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has said that his force would be unable to secure the safety of the capital.

“These are warnings of the highest seriousness. This is why the Conservative Party must rethink their plans for drastic cuts and protect frontline policing at a time when crime is changing and appears to be on the rise.”