January 2008 - Crime in the News

• New criminal offence of 'fuel laundering'

  Shaun Woodward, Northern Ireland Secretary, wants to create a new criminal offence of 'fuel laundering'. The fuel smuggling black market is worth an estimated £380million. [31st January 2008]

• Retailers share criminal files in Northern Ireland

  Large retailers in Northern Ireland have been sharing information, such as CCTV footage, on known criminals over the last 6 months. The aim is to crack down on business crime across Ulster. [31st January 2008]

• Bury drugs bust leads to 47 years imprisonment

  Twenty-one people have been sentenced to a combined total of more than 47 years in prison, after police busted a major drugs ring in Bury. [31st January 2008]

• 1,000 more officers in London next year

  London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, has announced that 1,000 more police will be recruited next year. This is in addition to the 10,000 police officers and police community support officers that have been recruited since he was elected eight years ago. [31st January 2008]

• Anti-social behaviour team set for cash injection

  Leicestershire's youth service and youth offending service has been working with 'troublesome' 10-18 year-olds since last year, but they lack the funding to move it into more areas. [31st January 2008]

• Government want new stop and search laws

  Gordon Brown intends to give police the power to stop and search people, without having to fill out the lengthy forms they curently use. [31st January 2008]

• Garden murderer charged

  Gary Kelly of Rutter Gardens in Mitcham has been charged with the murder of David Martin, also of Rutter Gardens. Martin is said to have died from a stab wound to the chest after a football argument. [30th January 2008]

• Two life terms for Exeter rapist

  A hotel night porter has been given two life sentences for raping and beating a 48-year old woman in Devon. Over 400 police officers and staff helped with the investigation and organisations including Crimestoppers have been praised for their help in the case. [30th January 2008]

• Archbishop Tutu backs gun crime scheme in Merseyside

  The scheme, which launches today, is part of a national project to encourage British policymakers to learn the lessons of South Africa. UK firearms offences reportedly topped 10,000 during the last year. [30th January 2008]

• House raid in Hampshire for clues of grandmother's murder

  A house in Hampshire has been raided as the police continue searching for the criminals who killed grandmother, Georgina Edmonds, two weeks ago. It has been suggested that residents in the local area of Otterbourne might know information about the murderer(s). [29th January 2008]

• Kent Securitas criminals await sentencing

  Following their trial which has lasted 7 months, five men are due to be sentenced after being convicted of kidnap, robbery and firearms charges. In 2006, these men raided a Securitas depot in Kent, stealing £53million. [29th January 2008]

• Parents of Romanian trafficked children come to UK

  The parents of five children who were taken into care last week after the Romanian gang raids in Berkshire, are travelling to England to be reunited with their children. It's believed that poor families surrendered their children to organised crime networks in exchange for money. [29th January 2008]

• More foreign people arrested in UK

  In some areas of the UK, the number of foreign people being arrested has more than doubled in the last few years. In the space of one year, arrests of foreign people for drink-driving offences has increased 17 times. [28th January 2008]

• Men and women afraid to walk alone at night

  A study has revealed that 56% of British women and 36% of men are afraid to walk alone at night in their neighbourhoods. [28th January 2008]

• 15 in court after Romanian gang raids

  Fifteen people have appeared in court after a series of police raids resulted in ten children being taken into care. [26th January 2008]

• Romanian pickpocket gangs are trafficking children into Britain

  There were dawn raids in Slough yesterday to capture a Romanian gang who have been smuggling children into Britain to beg and steal. [25th January 2008]

• A third of young people drink to get drunk, with serious consequences for crime

  In a poll by government-funded 'Positive Futures' programme, 50% of the 10-19 year olds questioned had been involved in fighting or agressive behaviour as a result of drinking. A quarter had been in trouble with the police. [25th January 2008]

• Overall crime falls by 9% but gun crime increases

  The Home Office have announced today that police recorded crime statistics show crime has fallen by 9% in England and Wales. However, there's been a 4% increase in gun crime. [24th January 2008]

• Ipswich prostitute murder trial

  In mid-December 2006, the bodies of five prostitutes were found in Ipswich. On 21st December 2006, Steve Wright from Ipswich was charged with the murders. In March last year, Wright pleaded ‘not guilty' to the charges and the trial began less than 2 weeks ago. Martin Brunt is currently reporting on the Ipswich murders for Sky News and tells Crimestoppers about Day One in the life of a crime reporter at Ipswich Crown Court. [23rd January 2008]