Jack Dromey MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Office minister, responding to figures showing 4m frauds are excluded from crime statistics, said:

“Labour has been saying for some time that crime is changing and that the Government needs a new plan to tackle rapidly-growing online crime like bank and credit card fraud. These statistics prove categorically that the Government has failed to heed these warnings and ultimately the public are paying the price.

 “The revelation by the ONS that four million bank and credit fraud crimes are not included in the official statistics now blows a hole in Government claims that crime is falling.  The time has come for the Government to tell the truth on crime. If a member of the public is robbed, online or on the street, they are robbed and either way their robbery should be properly recorded in the crime statistics.  But the simple truth is you can’t trust this Government on crime.”

ENDS