Crime fell by 7% in England and Wales during 2009 despite the recession, according to the latest set of crime figures, published today.

The dramatic drop in overall crime was accompanied by further falls in the levels of gun and knife crime, including a 21% fall in fatal stabbings.

The latest British Crime Survey (BCS) results show a 1% rise in violent crime, but Home Office statisticians said that this was not statistically significant and overall levels of violent crime remained stable.

Both the BCS and the number of offences recorded by police show a 7% fall in overall crime in 2009. The number of offences recorded by the police in 2009, 4.4m, represents a fall of 340,000 in the past year and is now below the crime level recorded in 1997 when Labour came to power.