蜜芽传媒

Police minister Nick Hurd has said there are "worrying signs" about growth in crime, following a report from the Office for National Statistics which stated crime in England and Wales has seen its largest annual rise in a decade.

Mr Hurd told the World at One "we've been aware of that for some time", but added that the government has been "very proactive" in getting on top of crime by introducing new legislation.

He said the report was "not all bad news", as it demonstrated that police are getting better at recording crime and that in sensitive areas "more people are coming forward".

(Photo: Police tape at a crime scene. Credit: PA)