The number of homicides recorded by police fell to its lowest level in almost 30 years last year, figures showed today. [19 July 2012]

A total of 550 murders, manslaughters and infanticides were recorded, down 14% from 638 in 2010/11 and the lowest since 1983, figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed. It comes as the total number of recorded crimes fell to 3,976,312, the first time it has fallen below four million since 1989. The number of homicides rose from around 300 per year in the 1960s to just under 1,000 a decade ago, the figures showed. Since 2007/8 the figures have fallen to 550 in 2011/12, the same as in 1983.

But pickpocketing, thefts of metal, wallets, mobile phones and unattended bags drove a 2% rise in so-called "other theft" offences, following a 4% rise the previous year.

Some 1,105,117 such crimes were recorded by police last year, up from 1,078,679 the previous year.

Separate figures from the Crime Survey of England and Wales showed crime figures remained stable at about 9.5 million.

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