Labour's policing minister has hailed a 10% drop in knife crime reports in a year as new data shows a drop in homicides in England and Wales. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also reveal that reports of shoplifting had fallen slightly after soaring to record levels. In the 12 months to December 2025, there were 49,151 offences involving a blade, down from 54,548 the year before. And homicides fell by 6% to 503 in England and Wales over that time. Robberies using