Crime

• Experts call for an end to imprisonment for council tax debt

  English councils are being urged to end the use of imprisonment for the non-payment of council tax.

  

• Council employee convicted of £1m pension fund fraud

  A former Westminster City Council employee has been convicted for defrauding the council pension fund of nearly £1m.

  

• Whitehall announces ‘refresh’ of hate crime legislation

  The Government today announced a series of measures aimed at tackling hate crime, including £1.5m for community groups that challenge prejudice and hatred.

  

• Councils struggle to stop rogue retailers selling knives to children

  Local authority leaders have called for more powers to crack down on retailers illegally selling knives to children.

  

• Poverty can lead to self-harm and violent crime, study shows

  Children from poorer families are at ‘significantly greater risk’ of being involved in violent crime and harming themselves later in life, new study shows.

  

• ‘Transparency map’ launched to tackle modern slavery

  A new website promises to help councils check if any of their suppliers are using modern slaves.

  

• Councils cheated out of £1m by housing benefit assessors

  Lambeth, Kingston, and Barking and Dagenham councils were cheated out of £1m by a group of housing benefit assessors who used dummy claimants, court has heard.

  

• Javid announces £200m to tackle youth violence

  Local government leaders have welcomed the announcement of a new fund to tackle violent crime — but renewed calls to reverse cuts in public health budgets.

  

• Councillor charged with posting ‘indecent’ messages online

  A councillor has been charged for posting allegedly ‘obscene’ and ‘menacing’ messages on social media.

  

• Vulnerable offenders increasingly referred to health services rather than prison

  Offenders with mental health, alcohol and drug abuse problems are increasingly being referred to health services as part of community sentences.