Attacks more common than burglaries - police

The public are now more likely to be violently attacked than burgled, police watchdogs warned today.

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Keith Povey called the rise in attacks "unprecedented" as he unveiled a new report.

Published just hours after the stabbings in Edmonton, Sir Keith's study showed the spread of the knife culture and the level of gun crime. Incidents of violence against individuals soared by nearly 15 per cent to 955,800 in 2003/4, up from 834,000 the previous year.

Burglaries of homes and businesses fell to 818,600 last year from 888,000 in 2002/3, meaning there is more violent crime than household theft in Britain for the first time ever.

But the Home Office said more than half the crimes now recorded by police as violent involved no injuries.