Violent offenders on London streets go up by a third

THE number of violent offenders released from prison and under supervision in the capital has shot up by a third in one year, figures show today.

London Probation Service statistics also revealed that the number of sex offenders on the capital's streets has risen by six per cent and that nearly 40 people convicted of sex crimes abroad have since returned to live in London.

The report found that 30 of these violent or sex offenders are deemed so dangerous they require intensive monitoring including potential round-the-clock surveillance.

Despite this, the number of serious new offences by released convicts has fallen with only five such crimes committed last year by around 2,000 freed criminals under the highest level of supervision.

That compares with 79 serious further offences nationwide including rape and murder.

Today's statistics are in the annual report on London's Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements known as MAPPA under which freed offenders are monitored. Each convict is ranked according to the risk they pose and placed under one of three levels of supervision.

In London, 6,234 offenders are covered by MAPPA of whom 3,351 are sex offenders and 2,792 are violent criminals, with a further 94 individuals in an "other dangerous offenders" category. Today's report says that while the total of sex offenders has risen by 200 since last year, this is in line with expectations as recently freed convicts add to those already on the list.

But it warns that there has been a much sharper 35 per cent rise, equivalent to 730 convicts, in the number of freed violent offenders in London who require supervision.

The report offers no definitive explanation for this and says only that it could be the result of the "timing of release" of some offenders which could raise suspicions that it could be caused by the Government's early release scheme.