The murder rate has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years but police admit that the main reason may be the skills of paramedics and advances in medicine rather than a decline in violent attacks. Official figures to be published this month are expected to show a dramatic fall in the number of murders in the year to the end of last March.

However, many police accept that the streets remain as violent as ever, with the number of serious woundings and shootings continuing to rise in many parts of the country.