CAUTIONS DOUBLE UNDER LABOUR!

Criminals are getting away with little more than a 'slap on the wrist', the Tories claimed today after it was revealed cautions for violent offences against the person have more than doubled over a ten-year period.

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling branded the 122 per cent rise 'alarming' and claimed it underlined the 'caution culture' that had built up under Labour.

He was commenting on data released by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith which showed that in 2007 52,300 offenders in England and Wales received a caution for indictable offences of violence against the person, compared with 23,500 in 1998.

Cautions for sexual offences also rose over the period from 1,800 in 1998 to 2,000 in 2007.

But the number of cautions for burglary, drug offences and theft and handling stolen goods fell during the period, Ms Smith disclosed.

Mr Grayling said: 'These figures just underline the alarming degree to which the caution culture has built up under this Government.

'Far too many people commit serious offences and are getting away with little more than a slap on the wrist. It's just not good enough.'

Ms Smith had told him in a Commons written reply: 'The increase in cautions in recent years is broadly consistent with the improved performance of the criminal justice system which in 2007-8 saw a 44 per cent increase in the number of offences brought to justice since 2001-2.' (Criminals only getting warnings)

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