Theft and robbery offences plummeted dramatically during the first months of the coronavirus lockdown in England and Wales, new annual crime statistics show

Crime in England and Wales plummeted during the coronavirus lockdown, new official figures show.

A fall in crime over the past year has been linked to the early months of the shutdown by the Official for National Statistics (ONS).

New statistics show theft and robbery offences plunged during the months from March, while shops were closed and millions ordered to stay home.

However domestic violence reports surged significantly – appearing to echo advocates’ fears for people trapped in abusive situations during the lockdown.

The number of drug offences, homicides and violence against the person continued to rise, according to the latest ONS crime figures.

The total number of crimes recorded by police in England and Wales fell overall by 4% to around 5.8 million in the year to June, the ONS found.