David Ruffley

TEEN ROBBERIES, VIOLENCE AND DRUG CRIME SOAR TO RECORD LEVELS

A CRIMEWAVE blamed on Labour's 'decade of juvenile delinquency' has seen a huge increase in youth robbery and violence.

The number of offences committed by youngsters aged ten to 17 in the last year was 277,986 - more than one every two minutes.

A report from the Youth Justice Board yesterday charted robberies surging by 29 per cent between 2005 and last year to 6,669, including more than 30 carried out by children aged only ten.

VIOLENT attacks by boozed-up teenage girls are soaring - with 63 offences committed every day, official figures revealed last night.

The number of crimes by females under 18 has more than TRIPLED in the past seven years.

For the first time, assault is now the most common reason for girls being arrested. And yobbish behaviour by teenage boys is FALLING.

The astonishing change in teenage louts is revealed in figures obtained by the Youth Justice Board.

Four out of 10 serious criminals are let off with a caution, and the number given for violent crimes has risen by 82 per cent in five years, the Tories said. David Ruffley , the Shadow Police Minister, said the figures meant fewer criminals went to court.

FOUR in 10 serious offenders are being let off with a caution, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

In some police force areas more than half of offenders who could expect to face a crown court are instead given a "slap on the wrist''.

The number of cautions being given to violent criminals has risen by 82 per cent in five years. Cautions given to burglars have increased by a quarter over the same period while cautions for robbers and sex offenders have gone up by almost half.

THE number of registered sex offenders feared to be missing has soared over the past two years, police figures suggested last night.

Data released from 38 police forces showed that 317 convicted perverts are classed as missing or unaccounted for.

The figure contrasts with 322 missing sex offenders reported by a much wider remit of 49 police forces in January 2007, indicating the total number has risen.

SOCCER violence is on the increase, Home Office figures revealed yesterday.

Cops arrested 3,842 yobs at domestic and international games last season - up 700 on 2005. Official figures show violent disorder, possession of weapons and booze-related crime are on the up.

Last year 1,048 new football banning orders were imposed, taking the total in force to a record 3,172.

Leeds United topped the league of shame with 152 outcast fans.

Three Premiership teams - Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea - were in the top ten for banning orders.

David Ruffley MP has expressed strong opposition in his response to Post Office Ltd's consultation for an outreach service point in Westview Gardens, Gislingham to replace the present Gislingham Post Office.

Post Office Ltd propose parking a large mobile vehicle in Westview Gardens, Gislingham for two hours a day from Monday to Friday. This will replace the busy Gislingham Post Office operated from Gislingham Village Store by Geoff Laurence. Westview Gardens is a quiet cul-de-sac with limited parking.

David Ruffley MP has this week given his backing to a bid to turn Radio West Suffolk, a volunteer-run radio station which broadcasts to patients at West Suffolk Hospital, into Bury St Edmunds first community radio station.

In order to realise this aim, and broadcast to the wider Bury St Edmunds area, Radio West Suffolk is running a fund-raising campaign, sourcing grants from within the Suffolk area, the East of England Development Agency and the National Lottery.

David said:

David Ruffley MP has today released new figures which reveal that St Edmundsbury Borough Council's net collectable debt from National Non Domestic Rates for 2008/09 stands at £37.8million.

This figure represents an increase of £3.6million on the net collectable debt for 2007/08. The data reveals that collection rates during 2008 have lagged behind those for 2007. At 23 October St Edmundsbury had collected 68.3percent of the debt, compared to 71.4percent at 31 October 2007.

David Ruffley MP has this evening applauded St Edmundsbury Borough Council's announcement that there will be a freeze on Council Tax during the next financial year.

The announcement was made by the leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Councillor John Griffiths, during this evening's Cabinet meeting.

David said:

'Unlike the current Government, St Edmundsbury Borough Council spent wisely and put money aside while the economy was in good shape, now, as we go into a recession, the Council can afford to give local people some respite from spiralling bills.