Homicides fall to lowest level in nearly 50 years, ONS statistics show

The Office for National Statistics reports 499 victims of murder and manslaughter in the year to September, the lowest figure since 1977, with knife-related homicides down 23%.

Homicides across England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level for nearly 50 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. The ONS recorded 499 victims of murder and manslaughter in the year to September, a 7% decrease on the previous year. That fall is largely attributed to a reduction in killings involving knives. The statistics combine police recorded crime data with a separate crime survey of people’s experiences. What the data show: - 499 victims of murder and manslaughter in the year to September, the lowest total since 1977 and down 7% on the previous year. - 174 people were killed by knives, a 23% decrease compared with the prior year. - Knife crime offences fell 9% to 50,430, and firearms offences fell 9% to just under 5,000, the lowest level since 2003. - The ONS crime survey estimates around 1.1 million incidents of violent crime, a figure little changed from the previous year. - Shoplifting rose by 5% to 519,381 offences, while robbery remained broadly similar at 82,678. Summary: The ONS figures show a fall in homicides alongside decreases in several weapon-related offences, and the reduction in knife killings is supported by NHS data on hospital admissions for assault by a sharp object; similar downward trends have been reported in recent Metropolitan Police and Scottish statistics. Undetermined at this time.