{
  "id": 14703536,
  "title": "Robbery, harassment and fraud rise across England and Wales",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/robbery-harassment-and-fraud-rise-across-england-and-wales",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T13:22:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2026/10/15/robbery-harassment-and-fraud-rise-across-england-and-wales/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In England and Wales, certain criminal activities saw an increase in the year leading up to March 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The overall Crime Survey for England and Wales, however, reported no significant change from the previous year, with an estimated 9.6 million incidents.\n\nRobbery cases increased by 10 percent, with 87,362 recorded by the police, a rise mainly attributed to business robberies that jumped by 91 percent, reaching 29,669. This surge was primarily due to a change in recording procedures from April 2025, which prompted police to categorize shop thefts involving violence or threats as robberies. Personal property robberies, on the other hand, fell by 9 percent.\n\nMeanwhile, recorded instances of rape saw a 4 percent increase, with 74,727 cases reported. Violence without injury rose by 2 percent, while violence with injury decreased by 3 percent. The ONS cautions that police figures for these offences might not accurately reflect trends due to variations in recording methods and increased reporting of victims.\n\nHarassment cases recorded by police rose by 6 percent, but the ONS notes that these figures may not be reliable indicators of trends. The ONS survey, however, found a statistically significant rise in repeated harassment among adults aged 16 and over, with the percentage increasing from 2.3 percent to 3.5 percent, or approximately 1.7 million people.\n\nThe ONS survey also revealed a 10 percent increase in the number of adult fraud victims, with 3.8 million people affected. Bank and credit account fraud incidents increased by 15 percent, reaching about 2.8 million, while total fraud incidents stood at 4.5 million, with no statistically significant change.",
  "summary": "Robbery, harassment and fraud are among the offences that rose in England and Wales in the year to March 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics. The broader Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated 9.6 million incidents overall, which reveals no major statistical change from the previous year. However, as some crimes fell, others rose. Police recorded 87,362 robberies, up 10…",
  "key_points": [
    "Robbery cases increased by 10%, with 87,362 recorded incidents",
    "Rape cases rose by 4%, totaling 74,727 reported cases",
    "Fraud incidents affected 3.8 million adult victims, a 10% increase"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Robbery, harassment and fraud rise across England and Wales",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/robbery-harassment-and-fraud-rise-across-england-and-wales-14705369",
        "published": "2026-10-15T13:22:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}