'CPS failures' freeing criminals

Thousands of suspected criminals are walking free from courts across London because of chronic failures by the Crown Prosecution Service which lead to the collapse of more than 140 cases a week, a damning report reveals today.

Some CPS branches see almost one in five of their cases founder because magistrates run out of patience, witnesses fail to turn up or victims or witnesses refuse to testify.

The report by Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate calls for urgent action. The chief inspector, Stephen Wooler, said: "This must address immediate concerns about the handling of casework, in particular the lack of grip on cases and the high number which fail simply because the prosecution is not ready."

The dismal picture he has uncovered sheds some light on the legal system's failure to bring criminals to justice - the crime rate has doubled in 20 years while conviction rates have halved.

Damning verdict on capital's justice