But the detailed police-recorded crime figures also show "signs of increasing upward pressure" in specific austerity-related crimes.

These include a 4% rise in shoplifting, which is up by more than 11,000 to 313,693 offences. The police-recorded crime figures also show a 7% rise in "theft from the person", which includes pickpocketing, to 110,408 offences.

The rise in shoplifting was seen in 29 of the 43 police force areas, with the largest increases in the West Midlands (up 18%), Merseyside (14%) and West Yorkshire (12%). In evidence of a new north-south divide, shoplifting in London fell by 1%.