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400,000 yob incidents 'blighting London lives'
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor4 Feb 2009
ALMOST 400,000 incidents of anti-social behaviour were recorded by the Met Police last year, figures show.
The Tories uncovered 387,862 complaints of aggression, intimidation and yobbish behaviour in the capital.
Across Britain there were almost four million complaints although the real figure could be as high as 35million because so few people tell police when it occurs.
The British Crime Survey found nearly three-quarters of people who experience anti-social behaviour do not report it to the authorities.
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said ministers were guilty of rolling out "initiative after initiative" but not taking constructive action.
He said: "Anti-social behaviour is blighting communities up and down the country - and the Home Secretary seems to have no idea what to do about it.
"We've seen initiative after initiative, but nothing they try has made any real difference. People want to see something done to tackle a problem that is disrupting huge numbers of lives but all we're getting from ministers are warm words with no action."
There were more than a quarter of a million anti-social behaviour incidents recorded in Greater Manchester last year and 172,000 in the West Midlands, the figures showed.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the Government had given police and local authorities the powers to tackle anti-social behaviour while the Tories had nothing to offer on the issue.
Tackling anti-social behaviour has been at the heart of Boris Johnson's plans to reduce crime on the capital's streets.
The London Mayor's Time For Action strategy includes proposals to steer youngsters away from a life of crime by dealing with low-level criminal activity in the first instance.
The Tory figures come as the Home Secretary hosts a "burglary summit" and as it emerged that four out of five burglars do not receive the statutory minimum three-year prison sentence.
Reader views (4)
Thats not true, they followed up when Mr Mandelson had his experience. Draw your own conclusions.
- sm, London, 27/03/2009 13:05
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It is definitely lack of Police follow-up that encourages these things. I have reported incidents, once even with the individuals mobile phone number and the police have not taken any further action. The yobs understand this and once they have got away with it once any fear of the law they had soon evaporates. I reported an incident last year and it took 4 weeks to get a letter that simply said the Police would not be taking the matter further without any explanation, despite a witness statement.
- Mark, London, 05/02/2009 10:45
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Bring back Borstal.
- Pat, Essex, 04/02/2009 22:14
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These were the incidents that were reported, how many weren't reported? Many times I've seen incidents that have occurred quickly with the particpants fleeing, leaving untold carnage behind them. After the first time of reporting these kinds of events and having had no police follow up, people simply learn to ignore them as they know nothing will be done.
- Bob, Cheam, 04/02/2009 15:40
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