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Coronavirus: Crime falls by more than 20% during lockdown as police hand out 1,100 fines

Crime has dropped by more than 20 per cent during the UK coronavirus outbreak, police have revealed.

But the head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said officers had also issued more than 1,000 fines for breaking lockdown restrictions.

“Initial figures from all forces show a 21 per cent fall in overall crime across the last four weeks compared to the same period last year,” Martin Hewitt told Downing Street’s daily press conference on Saturday.

“That drop, combined with the commitment of our over 200,000 officers and staff across the UK, and the fantastic response from our volunteer special constables … means that we are in a strong position.”

Mr Hewitt appealed for people to continue reporting crime and emergencies, repeating Priti Patel’s call for domestic abuse victims to seek help.


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