Crime in England and Wales is at the highest level in a decade, and violent crime increased by 18 per cent in the last year, official figures show.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed recorded crime went up by 10 per cent on 2015-16.
The Government downplayed the findings but admitted “there is more we must do” to tackle the upsurge in violent crime.
The revelations came as separate ONS data showed the number of police officers was the lowest in more than 30 years.
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