Crime in the news

Keep an eye on this section for the latest crime news that's been catching the attention of the media.

Latest news:

• Former Crimestopppers Community Champion Chris Preddie receives an OBE

  Chris Preddie has been appointed an OBE for his outstanding contribution to youth work [3 January 2012]

• Illicit cigarette gang jailed

  Gang members who set up a factory capable of producing millions of fake cigarettes have been jailed [31 January 2012]

• Drugs stolen from vet's car

  Drugs that could be fatal to humans have been stolen from a vet's car in West Sussex [31 January 2012]

• Gang raids jewellery shop in Leicester

  A masked gang armed with baseball bats has raided a jewellers in Leicester [31 January 2012]

• Man charged over explosives find

  A man has been charged in connection with the discovery of two suspicious devices which led to a road in Salford being evacuated [30 January 2012]

• Metal thefts cut by 67 per cent in Humberside

  Metal thefts in the Humber region are down 67 per cent as a result of a 'stop and search' scheme, Humberside Police said [30 January 2012]

• Woman abducted in stolen car

  Two men have been arrested after a car was hijacked in Hull and a 23-year-old female passenger was abducted [27 January 2012]

• Man jailed over paedophile ring inquiry

  A boss from a children's activity centre has been jailed for four years for his role in a paedophile ring [24 January 2012]

• Teenager jailed for knifepoint double rape

  A 17-year-old has been jailed for nine years after raping two teenage girls at knifepoint in his Nottingham flat [25 January 2012]

• Man arrested after girl was attacked by dog

  A 56-year-old man has been arrested after a dog bit off part of a six-year-old girl's ear in London [23 January 2012]

• Mother in Kent jailed for child neglect

  A Kent mother who left her six-year-old child at home alone for almost five days has been jailed for 18 months [19 January 2012]

• Man jailed after police stand-off

  A man who was involved in a 19-hour armed siege in Essex has been jailed for four years [20 January 2012]

• Man charged over Bury St Edmunds jeweller stabbing

  A man has been charged as part of a murder inquiry into the death of a jeweller in Suffolk [18 January 2012]

• Stamping out human trafficking

  Find out how Crimestoppers plans to tackle human trafficking from our founder, Lord Ashcroft KCMG [18 January 2012]

• Thieves dig 100ft tunnel to steal cash

  Thieves in Manchester dug a 100ft (30m) underground tunnel to get to a cash machine [16 January 2012]

• Woman injured as thief steals defrosting car

  A woman was hurt as she tried to stop a thief from making off with her car which was defrosting on her drive [17 January 2012]

• Two men charged over £50k drug seizure

  Two men have been charged with possession of cocaine with intent to supply across Teesside [16 January 2012]

• Man arrested after woman stabbed in back

  A man has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent after a woman was stabbed in the back as she left a theatre at Winter Gardens [10 January 2012]

• Crimestoppers and ACPO team up for Metal Theft Seminar

  Crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) are teaming up next month to offer a seminar designed to tackle the ever growing issue of metal theft, with the crime estimated to be costing the UK around £800 million per year [13 January 2012]

• Satanic link to Cornwall horse mutilation investigated

  Police investigating the mutilation of a horse in Cornwall have said they "cannot rule out" a link with a Satanic ritual [12 January 2012]

• Armed robbers used stolen plates in raid

  Police investigating an armed robbery at a Hampshire bank are urging anyone who has had their number plates stolen to come forward [12 January 2012]

• Two boys admit stone attacks on A14 in Suffolk

  Two eight-year-old boys have admitted throwing stones at cars on the A14 road in Suffolk [11 January 2012]

• Man 'saves 12-year-old Leeds girl from abduction'

  A man is thought to have prevented the abduction of a 12-year-old girl in Leeds [11 January 2012]

• Teenager collapses at illegal rave

  A teenager collapsed at an illegal rave in Portsmouth where police believe people were taking so-called legal highs [11 January 2012]

• Boy, 12, arrested over shooting

  A 12-year-old boy has been arrested by police investigating a shooting in High Wycombe on Saturday evening [9 January 2012]

• Intruder rapes woman, 75, in her home

  A 75-year-old woman has been raped in her flat in Greater Manchester [9 January 2012]

• Fear over 'cold caller' stickers

  Residents across North East Lincolnshire are being warned they could be lined up for burglaries or distraction thefts by bogus callers [5 January 2011]

• Man attacked and racially abused in Salford

  An Asian man has been assaulted and racially abused in an attempted robbery in Salford, Greater Manchester [4 January 2012]

• Sex assault on girl in Aberdeen investigated

  Police in Aberdeen have appealed for witnesses after a sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl [4 January 2012]

• Rural crime: £26,000 theft from Cumbrian shed

  More than £26,000 worth of equipment has been stolen from a shed in Cumbria [6 January 2012]

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