Armed Crimes Rise In 'Gun Free' England

The number of armed burglaries has risen to record levels in England, new crime figures show.

Latest statistics from the Home Office reveal 645 cases of burglars using a firearm in the year ending April 2006, a 46 per cent rise on the previous year.

The figures were published in the British Crime Survey, an annual assessment of households that is considered the most accurate indicator of crime as it includes incidents not reported to the police. It showed overall, guns were used in 4,120 robberies in England and Wales in the year ending April 2006 - a 10 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

England enacted severe gun control measures a few years ago, effectively disarming the law-abiding civilian population.

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