Surge in UK's migrant population 'has not caused crime wave'

The wave of immigrants from eastern Europe to the UK has not caused a rise in crime, according to a police report.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will be presented with the study when she meets senior police officers tomorrow, according to The Guardian.

The report, prepared for the Association of Chief Police Officers, shows that offending rates among Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants are in line with the rest of the UK population.

Despite one million people moving to Britain from countries new to the EU, police figures show crime fell by 9% in the year to September 2007, the newspaper says.

It quotes the report as saying: "While overall this country has accommodated this huge influx with little rise in community tension, in some areas sheer numbers, resentment and misunderstanding, have created problems."

However, the study says that new migrants might be more likely to commit certain types of crimes; among Poles this is drink-driving, and some Romanians have used their children to commit theft.

It calls for new measures to share information with eastern European countries on less serious crimes such as domestic violence.

The study is based on police data from England and Wales, although the identity codes used only include "white European" to cover a wide range of nationalities.

The report, by Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Grahame Maxwell and Cheshire Chief Constable Peter Fahy, says more analysis is needed.