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Recorded crime costing £15 billion a year

04/07/2008

Recorded crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland cost nearly £15 billion last year.

The figure is equivalent to almost £275 per person, a report by the Taxpayers' Alliance claims today.

The report uses information gathered by the Freedom of Information Act and details the cost of crime per person in each of the country's police forces.

Residents in Nottingham suffered the highest cost of crime last year at £390 per person, with the cost in London only slightly less at £388 per person.

For those in North Yorkshire the cost was considerably less at £130 per resident and it was £194 for those living in Surrey.

Violence against the person was responsible for the highest economic and social costs for tax payers in 2007.

Matthew Sinclair, policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Every one of us pays a steep price for high crime rates, particularly those living in urban areas.

"Whether we have been victims of crime, are afraid to go out at night or are just paying ever more to protect and insure ourselves and our property, crime has significant economic, emotional and social costs for us all.

"The problem is that politicians in Whitehall insist on micro-managing the police. If the government give people the information and the power to tailor their local police force to their local needs, we will be able to drive crime levels down and improve the lives of millions."

Conservative shadow home secretary, Dominic Grieve, used the report as an opportunity to attack the government on its record of fighting crime.

"This report provides a stark illustration of the cost of Labour's failure on crime. The public are not only suffering the misery of increased violent crime - but it is costing them £15 billion a year for the privilege," Mr Grieve said.

"It confirms what we have been saying for some time - that we need urgent action to slash unnecessary paperwork to get officers back on the streets, as well as action to restore local accountability in policing.

"It proves yet again that when it comes to crime Labour have run out of ideas. This makes them part of the problem, not the solution."