Latest news with #CrimeSurveyfor
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Phone thieves' e-bikes to be crushed hours after they are caught
Police will receive powers to destroy e-bikes and e-scooters hours after they are seized in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour and snatch thefts. Officers will no longer have to give a warning to an offender before seizing and destroying a bike, scooter or car that has been driven in an anti-social way or used to perpetrate the theft of a mobile phone or bag. Instead of waiting 14 days before being able to dispose of them, police will have powers to destroy them within 48 hours. Ministers said the current 14-day deadline made it easier for offenders to reclaim their bikes, scooters or vehicles, which provided a limited deterrent to repeat offending. While e-bikes and scooters have become an increasing source of irritation for pedestrians, they are, along with mopeds and scooters, being increasingly used in snatch thefts. The number of snatch thefts, where devices or personal items are grabbed from a person by a thief, rose from 58,000 in 2023 to 99,000 last year – the highest level since 2003, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, said: 'Anti-social and reckless driving brings misery to communities across the country, from dangerous street racing to off-road bikes tearing through local parks. 'By enabling police to seize and dispose of these vehicles within just 48 hours, we're giving our officers the tools they need to deliver immediate results and providing communities the swift justice they deserve. 'As part of our Plan for Change, these new powers send a clear message that anti-social behaviour, whatever form it takes, will not be tolerated in our local communities.' Labour is also looking to increase the fines for the cost of seizing, towing and crushing vehicles. A previous consultation recommended that it should be increased by the rate of inflation since the fees were last raised in 2008. This would cover the cost of recovering vehicles. The problem of nuisance driving has become so bad that some forces have launched dedicated operations to combat it. Operation Vulcan in Oldham has been targeting e-bikes, four of which were seized after their drivers were arrested for drug supply. Jo Shiner, the National Police Chiefs' Council's lead for roads policing, said: 'Anti-social use of a vehicle, such as street racing, street cruising or off-road use is more than a matter of noise pollution. 'It can have long-term effects on a neighbourhood, with the criminal damage of roads, other vehicles and surrounding property.' Edmund King, the AA president, said: 'Illegal car meets and street racing are not just anti-social, but also present road safety problems which have resulted in needless injuries and fatalities. 'This is a positive step that should make people think again before joining illegal car cruises.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Metro
22-05-2025
- Metro
Woman's search for 'hero' who chased down phone snatcher outside London Waterloo
A mum is desperately searching for the 'hero' who chased down and fought a phone snatcher to get her stolen mobile back. Andrea Klinkenberg, 38, was walking outside of Waterloo Station on Thursday night when a man riding an e-bike rammed into her side. The thief made her trip up, before snatching her phone out of her hands and speeding away. Andrea told Metro: 'I tried running after him, and kept shouting 'somebody stop him' to anyone nearby. 'I gave up chasing him after he rode through a busy road, and I thought my phone was gone. 'When I was on the train home, I was sat there crying and no one asked me if I was okay. In that moment it felt like there was no good people left.' Email or webnews@ But once Andrea managed to return to her home in Woking, her husband, who was sat waiting by the door, revealed her phone has been found. Police told the couple a member of the public, named Fadil, had fought off the snatcher to get her phone back. But at that point, Andrea had given up chase and went to catch her train home. She said: 'When I found out someone fought for me phone, I suddenly felt so much hope. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'I don't know how he managed to get it back, but it's lovely to know he wanted to help a complete stranger.' Police only provided Andrea with Fadil's first name and his phone number with one digit missing. But she has not given up hope on finding him, and is desperate to tell him how grateful she is. She said: 'I just want to say thank you. When I was sat on the train home, I felt completely hopeless and my privacy had been fully invaded. 'There is still hope in the world, and I want to tell Fadil how thankful I am.' The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment. Some 78,000 people had phones or bags stolen from them on British streets in the year to March 2024. That is a rise of more than 150% on the 31,000 'snatch thefts' in the 12 months before, according to data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Figures also show that four in five police investigations were closed before a suspect was even found and just 0.8% of 'theft from the person' complaints resulted in a charge. The government has pledged to crackdown on the scourge, with the Home Office saying it will work more closely with tech firms and police chiefs. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Everything we know so far about Washington DC shooting suspect Elias Rodriguez MORE: Pubs warn new Guinness brewery 'could spike the price of beer' and is 'arty farty' MORE: Woman's offensive C-bomb bumper sticker almost landed her in jail
South Wales Argus
16-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
More adults likely to experience domestic abuse than previously thought
The figure is greater for women, at nearly one in three, while for men it is closer to one in five. The estimates have been produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are the first to use an improved method for measuring the prevalence of domestic abuse among the population. A new set of questions has been added to the ONS's long-running Crime Survey for England and Wales in order to better capture a wider range of abuse types and behaviours. They include questions about health abuse and forced marriage – areas not previously covered by the survey – as well as reflecting recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. More detail on economic abuse, which can take the form of someone deliberately getting a person into debt or preventing them from getting a job, has also been included. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1% of adults – around one in four – had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old method, which is not directly comparable with the new survey, the ONS estimated that one in five (20.5%) questioned in the 12 months to March 2024 had experienced abuse since 16. The new estimates suggest 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. 'In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. 'These new questions are a positive step in better understanding domestic abuse and providing vital information to all those working to improve outcomes and support for victims. 'The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of daily essentials, such as food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy or denying someone medical assistance. Marital status-related abuse includes forced marriage and the prevention of marrying someone of your choice. The new figures also suggest that an estimated 8.0% of people aged 16 and over (3.9 million people) surveyed in the year to March 2024 were likely to have experienced some kind of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, with a higher figure for women (9.5% or 2.3 million) than men (6.5% or 1.5 million). Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the millions of lives it touches but for too long the scale of the problem – and its pervasiveness – has remained hidden. 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Sarika Seshadri, head of research and evaluation at Women's Aid, said: 'The new questions will provide insight into victim-survivors' experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse 'By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.' In developing the new questions, the ONS worked with a consortium led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, that also involved the College of Policing, the Women's Aid Federation of England, Men's Advice Line, Imkaan and Welsh Women's Aid. While the updated questions are better aligned with the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, it is not possible to separate out an estimate for victims of this offence, the ONS said. More detailed findings from the new survey will be published later in the year.
North Wales Chronicle
16-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
More adults likely to experience domestic abuse than previously thought
The figure is greater for women, at nearly one in three, while for men it is closer to one in five. The estimates have been produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are the first to use an improved method for measuring the prevalence of domestic abuse among the population. A new set of questions has been added to the ONS's long-running Crime Survey for England and Wales in order to better capture a wider range of abuse types and behaviours. They include questions about health abuse and forced marriage – areas not previously covered by the survey – as well as reflecting recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. More detail on economic abuse, which can take the form of someone deliberately getting a person into debt or preventing them from getting a job, has also been included. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1% of adults – around one in four – had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old method, which is not directly comparable with the new survey, the ONS estimated that one in five (20.5%) questioned in the 12 months to March 2024 had experienced abuse since 16. The new estimates suggest 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. 'In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. 'These new questions are a positive step in better understanding domestic abuse and providing vital information to all those working to improve outcomes and support for victims. 'The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of daily essentials, such as food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy or denying someone medical assistance. Marital status-related abuse includes forced marriage and the prevention of marrying someone of your choice. The new figures also suggest that an estimated 8.0% of people aged 16 and over (3.9 million people) surveyed in the year to March 2024 were likely to have experienced some kind of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, with a higher figure for women (9.5% or 2.3 million) than men (6.5% or 1.5 million). Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the millions of lives it touches but for too long the scale of the problem – and its pervasiveness – has remained hidden. 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Sarika Seshadri, head of research and evaluation at Women's Aid, said: 'The new questions will provide insight into victim-survivors' experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse 'By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.' In developing the new questions, the ONS worked with a consortium led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, that also involved the College of Policing, the Women's Aid Federation of England, Men's Advice Line, Imkaan and Welsh Women's Aid. While the updated questions are better aligned with the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, it is not possible to separate out an estimate for victims of this offence, the ONS said. More detailed findings from the new survey will be published later in the year.
Glasgow Times
16-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
More adults likely to experience domestic abuse than previously thought
The figure is greater for women, at nearly one in three, while for men it is closer to one in five. The estimates have been produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are the first to use an improved method for measuring the prevalence of domestic abuse among the population. A new set of questions has been added to the ONS's long-running Crime Survey for England and Wales in order to better capture a wider range of abuse types and behaviours. They include questions about health abuse and forced marriage – areas not previously covered by the survey – as well as reflecting recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. More detail on economic abuse, which can take the form of someone deliberately getting a person into debt or preventing them from getting a job, has also been included. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1% of adults – around one in four – had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old method, which is not directly comparable with the new survey, the ONS estimated that one in five (20.5%) questioned in the 12 months to March 2024 had experienced abuse since 16. The new estimates suggest 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. 'In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. 'These new questions are a positive step in better understanding domestic abuse and providing vital information to all those working to improve outcomes and support for victims. 'The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of daily essentials, such as food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy or denying someone medical assistance. Marital status-related abuse includes forced marriage and the prevention of marrying someone of your choice. The new figures also suggest that an estimated 8.0% of people aged 16 and over (3.9 million people) surveyed in the year to March 2024 were likely to have experienced some kind of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, with a higher figure for women (9.5% or 2.3 million) than men (6.5% or 1.5 million). Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the millions of lives it touches but for too long the scale of the problem – and its pervasiveness – has remained hidden. 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Sarika Seshadri, head of research and evaluation at Women's Aid, said: 'The new questions will provide insight into victim-survivors' experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse 'By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.' In developing the new questions, the ONS worked with a consortium led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, that also involved the College of Policing, the Women's Aid Federation of England, Men's Advice Line, Imkaan and Welsh Women's Aid. While the updated questions are better aligned with the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, it is not possible to separate out an estimate for victims of this offence, the ONS said. More detailed findings from the new survey will be published later in the year.
