Crimes of violence in Ealing Borough have increased by 12% over the last year although police claim that their ability to issue fixed penalty notices are distorting the picture. This measure and changes to the way crimes are reported may be boosting the numbers. For instance the police are now required to record each assault in a pub brawl as a separate crime as opposed to a single incident previously.

The latest British Crime Survey suggests that violent crime in the UK did fall by 10% in 2004.

Overall crime in the borough is down by 4%, mirroring the fall in the capital as a whole. Incoming Borough Commander, Colette Paul has set herself a target of a 20% reduction in crime.

There was a reduction in residential burglary over the last year but overall the borough lagged the performance of the Metropolitan Police area as a whole. The Sunday Times reported last December that Ealing Borough had the lowest detection rates for burglaries in the country.

Robbery also saw an increase, whereas it was falling in the rest of London and gun crime in the borough is also on the increase, in contrast to an overall reduction.

Ealing police did not respond to a request for a comment on these figures.