West Berkshire Liberal Democrats have accused their Conservative rivals of scaremongering over claims that violent crime is on the rise in Newbury.

With a General Election due to be announced on Monday, heralding the closest contest for the Newbury seat in over a decade, and a crucial by-election in Thatcham to decide control of West Berkshire Council, the two main parties seem intent on putting law and order at the heart of their pledges to voters.

The Lib Dems slammed Tory adverts in the local press, claiming there are 87 violent crimes committed in the Newbury area every day. Council leader Royce Longton said: “It is only when you read the small print that you find that this figure relates to the whole Thames Valley. The truth of the matter is that violent crime in Newbury has hardly increased at all."

Billy Drummond, Executive Member for Public Protection, went further, adding: "West Berkshire has one of the lowest crime rates in the UK, and crime generally has actually decreased by 8% under the Liberal Democrats. West Berkshire also has less than half the national average rate of violent crime."

The Conservatives had previously labeled the Liberal Democrats “soft on crime” pointing to David Rendel’s voting record against new police powers to break up gangs of youths with dispersal orders.

Nationally, Liberal Democrats have pledged 10,000 extra police, while the Tories will recruit 40,000 over five years if they win the election. Just 42% of crime is reported to the police, of which only one in five is ever solved. Just 3% of reported crime ends up in a conviction.

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