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Crime in the United Kingdom

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Charts showing trends in various crimes from 2005.
Number of crime incidents by main crime types[1]

Crime in the United Kingdom describes acts of violent crime and non-violent crime that take place within the United Kingdom. Courts and police systems are separated into three sections, based on the different judicial systems of England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Responsibility for crime in England and Wales is split between the Home Office, the government department responsible for reducing and preventing crime,[2] along with law enforcement in the United Kingdom; and the Ministry of Justice, which runs the Justice system, including its courts and prisons.[3] In Scotland, this responsibility falls on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, which acts as the sole public prosecutor in Scotland, and is therefore responsible for the prosecution of crime in Scotland.[4]

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Main article: Crime statistics in the United Kingdom

As of January 2018, police figures have shown a sharp increase in violent crime and sex offences rates over the last few years.[5] This has coincided with the results of a critical national inspection conducted by HM Inspectorate of Police, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in 2014 which found substantial under-reporting of crime across forces. The subsequent mandatory improvements introduced a profound statistical discontinuity, and the resulting sharp increase observed in recorded violence volumes between 2015 and 2017 should be interpreted primarily as a reflection of improved police reporting rather than an immediate, sharp increase in victimisation. HMICFRS data confirms that overall crime recording rates rose significantly during this period, from approximately 80% in 2014 to nearly 95% following the inspectorate’s intervention.[6]

Comparing police-recorded crime rates in the long term is therefore difficult as police recording practices mean the decade spanning 2015 to 2025 cannot be analyzed using a single trend line. Victims' willingness to report crime have changed over the years.[7][8][9][10]

Criminal justice system

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England and Wales

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Main article: Courts of England and Wales § Criminal cases

English criminal law details a series of criminal acts, and when these should apply. English courts apply criminal statutes and common law as part of their responsibility for applying justice and dealing with the culprits. The strength of the police force, as of 2018, in England and Wales was around 125,651 of whom 37,104 are women.[11]

There are two kinds of criminal trial in England and Wales: "summary" and "on indictment". For an adult, summary trials take place in a magistrates' court, while trials on indictment take place in the Crown Court. Despite the possibility of two venues for trial, almost all criminal cases, however serious, commence in the magistrates' courts.

Offences may also be deemed "either way", depending on the seriousness of the individual offence. This means they may be tried in either a magistrates' court or the Crown Court depending on the circumstances. A person may even be convicted by the magistrates' court and sent to the Crown Court for sentence (where the magistrates feel they do not have adequate sentencing powers). Furthermore, even if the magistrates retain the jurisdiction of an offence, the defendant has the right to elect for a Crown Court trial by jury. The jury is selected independently of the prosecution and the defence.

Scotland

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Main article: Courts of Scotland § Criminal courts

The lowest level of criminal courts in Scotland are justice of the peace courts. Compared to the English-Welsh magistrates court, their powers are more restricted. For example, they can only pass a prison sentence of up to 60 days.[12] The Sheriff Court is the main criminal court. The Sheriff Court may be conducted for "summary cases" or "solemn cases". The former is used for less serious crimes, in which the sheriff (judge) presides alone, while the latter is a jury trial. From 10 December 2007, the maximum penalty that may be imposed in summary cases is 12 months' imprisonment or a £10,000 fine, in solemn cases 5 years' imprisonment or an unlimited fine.[13] The highest criminal court in Scotland is the High Court of Justiciary. This is the trial court for the most serious crimes (e.g. murder) and an appeal court for other criminal cases.[14]

Among the differences with common law legal systems are that juries in Scotland have 15 members, and only need a simple majority in order to give a verdict. Scottish courts can also give three verdicts: "guilty", "not guilty" and "not proven" (which is also an acquittal).[14]

Northern Ireland

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Main article: Courts of Northern Ireland § Subordinate courts
See also: Crime in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, magistrates' courts hear less-serious criminal cases and conduct preliminary hearings in more serious criminal cases. The Crown Court in Northern Ireland hears more serious criminal cases. These are indictable offences and "either way" offences which are committed for trial in the Crown Court rather than the magistrates' courts. Northern Ireland has its own judicial system. The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland is the entity that sits at the head of this system.[15]

The Department of Justice is the department responsible for the administration of the courts, which it runs through the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. On top of this, the department also has responsibility for policy and legislation about criminal law, legal aid policy, the police, prisons and probation.[15] Similar to the justice system in the United States, defendants are innocent until proven guilty and on top of this in order to be proven guilty evidence must lead the judge or jury to make a decision based on the fact that it was "beyond reasonable doubt".[15]

Demographics

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In 2019, 74% of individuals dealt with by the Criminal Justice System were male, and 26% were female. The proportions had remained constant over the previous 5 years.[16]

In 2024, the prison population in England and Wales showed the following age distribution: 30-39 year olds formed the largest group at 29,339 prisoners (33%), followed by 40-49 year olds (18,175; 21%), 25-29 year olds (13,226; 15%), and 50-59 year olds (9,391; 11%). Younger age groups accounted for smaller proportions: 21-24 year olds (8,1 55; 9%), 18-20 year olds (3,090; 4%), and 15-17 year olds (264; 0.3%). Those aged 60 and over comprised 6,229 prisoners (7%).[17]

Extent of crime

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See also: Crime statistics in the United Kingdom

England and Wales

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The United Kingdom's crime rate remains relatively low when compared to the rest of the world, especially among first world countries. As of 2019, the United Kingdom sits in 174th place for intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants at 1.20.[18]

Chart showing trend
Crime in England and Wales from the Crime Survey (in 000s of crimes)[19]

In most years since 1995, crime rates in England and Wales have declined,[7] although there was a rise in violent crime in the late 2010s.[5][20][7] In 2015, the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that crime in England and Wales was at its lowest level since the CSEW began in 1981, having decreased dramatically from its peak in 1995 and by 31% in 2010–15.[21] For example, the number of violent crimes declined from 4.2 million in 1994–95 to 1.32 million in 2014–15 with little change over the next few years.[21]

As of 2015, there were 618,000 recorded crime of "violence against the person" which caused an injury. Other areas of crime included robbery (124,000), burglary (713,000) and vehicle theft (874,000).[21] England and Wales had a prison population of 83,430 (2018 estimate), equivalent to 179 people per 100 000. This is considerably less than the USA (762) but more than the Republic of Ireland (76) or the EU average (123).[22] Around £2.7 billion is spent on the prison service each year.[23]

In 2017, 25,700 children above the age of criminal responsibility, 10, and beneath majority, 18, were found guilty of indictable offences, and a further 13,500 cautioned [24]

Crime in London was the highest in England and Wales in 2009 (111 per 1000 of the population), followed by Greater Manchester (101 per 1000), then Nottinghamshire (97 per 1000).[25]

As of April, 2024, excluding Scotland, the overall crime rate for the United Kingdom was 85 crimes per 1,000 people. The overall crime rate in the U.K. decreased by 4.9% as compared to the crime rate for the period ending a year earlier, in April 2023.[26]

In 2010, ATM crime cost the UK a total of £33.2 million – just over 8 percent of total card fraud. According to the British Crime Survey, 6.4 percent of plastic card users reported being victim to fraud during 2009-10.[27][28]

Robberies are rising more rapidly in England and Wales than in France, but still not nearly as much as Canada or the United States. Largescale smartphones use and reduction in police patrols are blamed. After 2014 robberies rose by 33%. Police are under pressure since 21,000 officers were cut from 2010 to 2018, only 7% of robbery cases lead to a suspect being charged in 2019 while 21% lead to a charge four years before 2019.[29]

Recorded knife crime rose by 7% from just above 41,000 in the year to June 2018 to just above 44,000 in the year to June 2019, knifepoint rapes, robberies and assaults logged by police continued to rise. Javed Khan of Barnardo's said over the ONS statistics, “Knife crime is a symptom of a much wider, complex problem. Too many young people are suffering a ‘poverty of hope’, facing a future with no qualifications, no job prospects, and no role models.” Robberies rose by 11% and fraud rose by 15%, gun crime also rose to 6734 incidents. The Crime Survey for England and Wales that takes account of offences not reported to police, also show a continuing rise in fraud, it suggested 3,863,000 fraud offences occurred during the year to June 2019. The proportion of cases solved dropped from 15.5% in 2015 to 7.4% in 2019, which is a record low.[30][31] Across England and Wales, the percentage of solved burglaries almost halved during the seven years preceding 2021, from 32,000 out of 342,043 cases (9.5%) in 2014-2015 to 14,000 out of 268,000 cases (5.4%) in 2021-2022.[32]

Scotland

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In 2007–8, there were 114 homicide victims in Scotland,[33] a slight decrease on the previous year. In the third quarter of 2009, there were a little over 17,000 full time equivalent serving police officers. There were around 375,000 crimes in 2008–9, a fall of 2% on the previous year. These included around 12,500 non-sexual violent acts, 168,000 crimes of dishonesty (housebreaking, theft and shoplifting are included in this category) and 110,000 acts of fire-raising and vandalism. In the 2008–9 period, there was a prison population in Scotland of about 7,300,[33] equating to 142 people per 100,000 population, very similar to England and Wales. Spending on Scotland's prisons was around £350 million in 2007–8.[34]

In 2018–9, there were 60 homicide victims in Scotland,[35] a slight increase on the previous year. In the third quarter of 2009, there were a little over 17,000 full time equivalent serving police officers. There were around 375,000 crimes in 2008–9, a fall of 2% on the previous year. These included around 12,500 non-sexual violent acts, 168,000 crimes of dishonesty (housebreaking, theft and shoplifting are included in this category) and 110,000 acts of fire-raising and vandalism. In the 2008–9 period, there was a prison population in Scotland of about 7,300,[35] equating to 142 people per 100,000 population, very similar to England and Wales.[36]

Northern Ireland

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Main article: Crime in Northern Ireland

Between April 2008 and 2009, there were just over 110,000 crimes recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, an increase of 1.5% on the previous year.[37] As of 2020, Northern Ireland has around 6 873 serving full-time equivalent police positions,[38] and in 2019 had a prison population of 1,448, 83 per 100,000 of the population, lower than the rest of the United Kingdom.[39]

Homicides

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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) frequently cautions that comparisons of recorded crime rates (especially for non-fatal crimes like assault) are heavily affected by different national legal definitions and varying counting and recording rules. But a much more comparable international crime statistic is "intentional killing." The definitions used by countries to record this data are generally close to the UNODC definition.[40] UNODC uses the homicide rate as a proxy for overall violence, as this type of crime is one of the most accurately reported of the internationally comparable indicators. On this metric, the UK is similar to its European neighbours.[41]

2021 homicide rates compared[42]
Country Rate per 100,000 population
US
6.78
UK
1.15
France
1.11
Sweden
1.08
Greece
0.84
Germany
0.83
Poland
0.72
Spain
0.61
Norway
0.54
Itlay
0.51

London

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Main article: Crime in London

In 2018, because of a spike in violent crime, London’s murder rate overtook that of New York City.[43] In 2023, the Mayor's Office for Policing & Crime put the rate at four times lower than New York, seven times lower than in Los Angeles, and lower than Berlin.[44] The same report showed that in the twelve months to March 2025, there were 26.40 recorded offences of violence against the person per 1,000 population in the London Metropolitan area, slightly below the national average of 31.88 per 1,000 population.

In London, in 2018, Black individuals were disproportionately represented among both murder victims and suspects, comprising nearly half of each group, despite constituting only 13% of the city's population. In contrast, White people, who make up around 60% of London’s population, accounted for just 35% of murder victims and 24% of suspects.[45]

Stolen goods trafficking

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Between 2013 and 2024, Britain experienced a sharp resurgence in high-value theft, reversing the decline seen in the 1990s. While some of this was due to increased accuracy in police-recorded crime practices from 2014,[6] vehicle thefts rose from approximately 90,000 in 2020 to 130,000 in 2024, a 75% increase over the decade. London has simultaneously become the leading European hotspot for mobile-phone theft, with 70,000 devices stolen in 2024 alone, representing about 40% of all cases in Europe.[46][47] Agricultural theft has also intensified, with the value of claims for stolen GPS equipment on British farms increasing by 137% in 2023, partly linked to shortages following sanctions on Russia. Stolen items are rarely retained within the country: instead, they are channelled into global supply chains for resale in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.[48][49]

The trade in stolen goods operates through a decentralised but highly structured system described as “Grand Theft Global Inc.”. Thieves typically sell vehicles or phones to intermediaries, who then use specialist services to disguise, transport, and export them. Cars are often fitted with false number plates, GPS jammers, and altered vehicle identification numbers before being loaded into shipping containers. Phones are concealed in Faraday bags or foil to block tracking signals. By 2024, most stolen vehicles intercepted at British ports were bound either for the Democratic Republic of Congo or the United Arab Emirates,[50] while the majority of stolen phones traced overseas were located in Shenzhen, China, a global centre for second-hand electronics. The entire process, from theft to containerisation, can occur in less than 24 hours.[48][49]

Britain’s role as a hub for this trade stems from several structural weaknesses. The country combines a dense market for high-value consumer goods with minimal scrutiny of exports. Enforcement capacity is limited: in 2024 only about 5% of all crimes, and 2% of vehicle thefts, were solved. At major ports such as Felixstowe, more than 11,000 containers pass through daily, yet only a negligible fraction are inspected, often only following intelligence tips. Internationally, container shipping practices—where exporters can book space anonymously through layers of freight forwarders—further reduce accountability. These features make it comparatively easy to move stolen goods abroad with low risk of interception.[48][49]

The growth of large-scale theft has had measurable consequences for consumers and insurers. Between 2020 and 2024, the cost of car insurance in Britain increased by 45% in real terms, compared to inflation-level rises in the European Union. Low-level thieves typically receive £1,500 for stealing a vehicle such as a Toyota Hilux, which can later sell for over £40,000 in African markets, illustrating the profitability of the trade.[51] For stolen phones, thieves may be paid £100–200 for unlocked devices, which are then refurbished or dismantled in Shenzhen. The relatively low risk of prosecution has encouraged some organised-crime groups, including drug gangs, to diversify into this area, further intertwining theft with broader criminal activity.[48][49]

Religious hate crimes

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England and Wales

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In England and Wales, there was a total of 103,379 hate crimes committed between the years of 2018 to 2019. Compared to the previous years; we can observe a 10% increase in hate crimes (94,121). From the total number of hate crimes committed in those years, about 8% of them (8,566) were committed due to religious reasons. Motivation to commit crimes are influenced by a multitude of factors; 12% of them being driven by religious and racial reasons. In the last five years there have been an increase in recorded hate crimes due to improvements in police recording and documentation. Because of this it has been observed that the rise of hate crime is correlated to certain events; such as the EU referendum (2016) and the terrorist attacks (2017).[52]

Real crime stories

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In early modern Britain, real crime stories were a popular form of entertainment. These stories were written about in pamphlets, broadsides, and chapbooks, such as The Newgate Calendar. These real crime stories were the subject of popular gossip and discussion of the day. While only a few people may have been able to attend a trial or an execution, these stories allowed for the entertainment of such events to be extended to a much greater population.[53] These real crime stories depicted the gruesome details of criminal acts, trials and executions with the intent to "articulate a particular set of values, inculcate a certain behavioral model and bolster a social order perceived as threatened".[53]

The publication of these stories was done in order for the larger population to learn from the mistakes of their fellow Englishmen. They stressed the idea of learning from others wrongdoings to the extent that they would place warnings within the epitaphs of executed criminals. For example, the epitaph of John Smith, a highway thief and murderer, said: "thereto remain, a Terrour to affright All wicked Men that do in Sins delight... this is the Reason, and the Cause that they May Warning take."[54] The epitaph ends with the Latin phrase Faelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cantum, which means "fortunate the man who learns caution from the perils of others".

See also

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Regional:

Cities:

References

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  1. ^ "Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Crime and Victims". homeoffice.gov.uk. The Home Office. Archived from the original on 22 December 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  3. ^ "About Us". Ministry for Justice. 2009. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Guide to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service". Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. 2008. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Violent crime rising, police figures suggest". BBC News. 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  6. ^ a b "The quality of police recorded crime statistics for England and Wales". Office for Statistics Regulation. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Violent crime is not at record levels". Full Fact. 1 February 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Victims let down by poor crime-recording". HMIC. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Crime-recording: making the victim count". HMIC. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  10. ^ Patrick, James (18 November 2014). "Whistleblowers' diary: 'no criming' the stats". The Justice Gap. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  11. ^ "Police officer numbers in England and Wales". Full Fact - the UK’s independent fact checking charity. 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  12. ^ JP Court Bench Book: "Lay Justice". Judicial Studies Committee. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  13. ^ Part III of the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007
  14. ^ a b "The Criminal Justice System – the Law – National 5 Modern Studies Revision". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  15. ^ a b c "Introduction to the justice system". nidirect. 30 December 2015. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  16. ^ "Women and the Criminal Justice System 2019". GOV.UK. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  17. ^ Sturge, Georgina (8 July 2024). "UK Prison Population Statistics". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  18. ^ "Intentional homicide victims: Statistics and Data". dataunodc.un.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  19. ^ "Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  20. ^ "Man in 60s stabbed to death in broad daylight outside west London pub". The Daily Telegraph. London. 25 August 2019. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  21. ^ a b c "Bulletin Tables – Crime in England and Wales, Year Ending December 2015". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  22. ^ "UK Prison population statistics". House of Commons Library. 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  23. ^ "Here's how we can spend less on prisons and still cut crimes". Independent. 10 October 2017.
  24. ^ "youth_justice_statistics_2016-17" (PDF). ONS. 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  25. ^ Simon Rogers (22 April 2010). "Crime rates where you live". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  26. ^ "UK Crime Rates, Apr 2024". CrimeRate. Brighton Analytics Limited. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  27. ^ Gamman, Lorraine; Thorpe, Adam; Malpass, Matt; Liparova, Eva (2012). "Hey Babe–Take a Walk on the Wild Side!". Design and Culture. 4 (2).
  28. ^ "British Crime Survey". UK Home Office. 2010. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  29. ^ Robbery rise blamed on police cuts and rise in smartphone use BBC
  30. ^ Knife crime hits record high in England and Wales The Guardian
  31. ^ Knife crime reaches new high, police figures show BBC
  32. ^ Watts, Ryan; Bello, Ademola (30 January 2022). Hamilton, Fiona (ed.). "Burglars go unpunished with only 5% of cases solved". The Times.
  33. ^ a b The Scottish Government (1 December 2009). "High Level Summary of Statistics data for Crime and Justice trends". Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  34. ^ "Annual Abstract of Statistics". National Office of Statistics. 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  35. ^ a b The Scottish Government (29 October 2019). "Homicide in Scotland 2018-2019: statistics". Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  36. ^ "Annual Abstract of Statistics". National Office of Statistics. 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  37. ^ "The PSNI's Statistical Report" (PDF). Police Service of Northern Ireland. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  38. ^ "Strength of Police Service Statistics". Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  39. ^ "The Northern Ireland Prison Population 2018-19 | Department of Justice". 27 September 2019. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  40. ^ "Compiling and Comparing International Crime Statistics". United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  41. ^ "Global Study on Homicide". United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  42. ^ "Victims of intentional homicide | UNODC". dataunodc.un.org. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  43. ^ "London murder rate overtakes New York's". BBC. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  44. ^ "Violent crime leading to injury falling in every London borough | London City Hall". www.london.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  45. ^ "Black murder victims and suspects: London v UK". Sky News. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  46. ^ Coughlan, Joe (26 July 2025). "Two-fifths of mobile phone thefts in Europe happen in UK, shows insurance data". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  47. ^ "A phone is stolen in London every eight minutes. We follow their trail". The Times. 15 March 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  48. ^ a b c d "Britain leads the world in a new global business—a criminal one". The Economist. 21 August 2025. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  49. ^ a b c d "The new geography of stolen goods". The Economist. 17 August 2025. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  50. ^ Fowler, Steve (24 June 2025). "Here's where your stolen car probably ended up". The Independent. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the most likely destination for your stolen car to be shipped to, with 38.5 per cent of intercepted cars sent to the African state. That's followed by the UAE (20.1 per cent), Cyprus (6.7 per cent), Jamaica (5.7 per cent) and Georgia (5.1 per cent).
  51. ^ Barnard, Tom (27 July 2025). "Relax, your Land Rover is safe. Britain has a new most-stolen vehicle". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  52. ^ "Religion and crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  53. ^ a b Sharpe, J. A. (1 May 1985). ""last Dying Speeches": Religion, Ideology and Public Execution in Seventeenth-Century England"". Past and Present (107): 144–167. doi:10.1093/past/107.1.144.
  54. ^ "An epitaph on Mr. John Smith, alias Ashburnham". Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2020.

Further reading

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  • The Palgrave Handbook of Youth Gangs in the UK. Germany, Springer International Publishing, 2023. ISBN 9783030996581
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