Mark Easton
Home editor

New crime figures for England and Wales indicate a 28% fall in the numbers of victims of violence during the first year of the Covid pandemic.

However, the Office for National Statistics says there has been a 36% rise in fraud and computer misuse offences in the 12 months to March 2021.

Overall, people’s experience of crime, as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales, remained relatively flat compared with the year before - with more crimes online cancelling the falls in more traditional offences.

Eight out of 10 people were not victims of any crime.

Police-recorded crime fell 10% year-on-year, with substantial falls during periods of lockdown. The number of homicides fell 16% to 600 offences, the lowest figure for four years.

There was also a 14% fall in recorded firearm offences and a 15% drop in crimes involving knives. Recorded sexual offences fell 9% but domestic violence incidents reported to police increased 6%.

The ONS says improvements to police recording make it impossible to conclude whether there has been an increase in domestic abuse victims during the pandemic.

Because the crime survey was carried out by phone rather than face-to-face, direct comparisons are more difficult. But the figures suggest a 15% fall in violence and a 20% reduction in theft cases.

According to survey data, the number of fraud offences increased by 24% in 2020/21 compared to the previous year. Only a quarter of these cases resulted in any loss of money or property.

Computer misuse offences went up 85% year-in-year. The ONS suggests the increase in online shopping and other activity may have fuelled the rise.

Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editor

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland has its own contact-tracing app, and it seems to be avoiding the huge hit to business that's being seen with the NHS Covid app in England.

In only one week this month, England had 618,000 pings of the contact-tracing app. Entire business critical teams are off work.

Yet the root problem of the contact-tracing app - doing its job assiduously, we have to assume, rather than simply going rogue - is not affecting Scotland to anything like the same extent.

Why? I've been trying to find out.

Since its launch last September, the Protect Scotland app has had fewer than 60,000 notification pings in total.

Asked at a media briefing earlier this week why there are far fewer app pings, the deputy chief medical officer explained the software is more complex in the English app, but no less sensitive.

While the difference may reflect the falling number of infections in Scotland, she also suggested it has to to do with those asked to key in a code to say they have had a positive test.

In England, if you book a Covid test through the app, any positive result will be automatically registered. In Scotland, it requires the affected person to do that.

Read the full piece here.

Image source, Getty Images

Beijing has fully vaccinated nearly 91% of its adult residents against Covid, government data shows.

Some 17.7 million people, or 90.8% of adult residents in Beijing, had been inoculated as of 21 July, city authorities say.

In Shanghai and Wuhan, rates of 80% and 77% have been reported respectively.

China says it has administered 1.49 billion doses, but it does not disclose nationwide data on how many people have been fully vaccinated.

Reality Check

Image source, PA Media

When defending a 1% increase for nurses, doctors and other NHS staff in March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson described it as "as much as we can at the present time”. Now the increase will be 3%.

Today the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "The economy is actually doing better than we anticipated four months ago, and we feel that we can afford the 3%."

At the start of the year, the International Monetary Fund predicted that the British economy would grow by 4.5% in 2021. Following the vaccine programme and the reopening of businesses, they now expect the UK economy to grow by 5.3% this year. Meanwhile, the Bank of England expects the economy to grow by 7.25%, which would be the fastest growth in more than 70 years.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the government received £62.2bn in taxes in June compared with £46.2bn in February. However, in June alone, the government also borrowed £22.8bn and spent £8.7bn on interest payments after a year and a half of record borrowing.

And the prime minister's spokesman painted a slightly different picture of how the 3% rise would be paid for. “It will be funded from within the NHS budget but we’re very clear it won't impact frontline services.”

Read more about the issue of NHS pay here.

Image source, Reuters

The NHS pay rise will be "funded from within the NHS budget but we're very clear it won't impact frontline services", says the PM's official spokesman.

He added: "This strikes the right balance in light of wider public finances.”

The comments come after the Royal College of Nursing said the 3% pay rise was far below what nurses needed, having worked throughout the pandemic and now facing serious staff shortages because of a high number of vacancies.

Its interim general secretary Pat Cullen said the pay award was being put to nurses next week in a ballot, and they will then decide on whether industrial action would go ahead.

"As their professional trade union, we will walk alongside them and their decision-making because nurses will do the best thing for patients," she added.

"Whatever action they take, they will make sure their patients don't suffer as a consequence."

Image source, PA Media

A happy moment for fans of the Royal Family - the Changing of the Guard has been performed at Windsor Castle for the first time since the pandemic began.

The Household Division of the Army usually carries out duties such as Trooping the Colour, the state opening of Parliament, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.

But since March last year, the guardsmen have stopped all ceremonial activities to help stop the spread of Covid.

Hundreds of tourists were in the grounds of the castle to watch the ceremony on Thursday.

Image source, PA Media

One of the top Covid stories today is on the record number of people told to self-isolate by the Covid app in the week to 15 July.

More than 600,000 people were sent alerts in England.

However, as our chart shows, that's still eclipsed by the number of children who are self-isolating after being sent home from school.

There were more than three quarters of a million children not in school due to Covid in the week to 15 July.

Image source, Getty Images

International Rugby League chair Troy Grant has strongly criticised Australia and New Zealand's decision to pull out of the World Cup in England, with the teams citing Covid safety concerns.

There is anger over their decision about the tournament, due to take place in autumn. The teams said the situation in the UK made it "simply too unsafe to send teams and staff over".

Grant said some Australia and New Zealand players were thinking of switching allegiances so they could still take part.

He is liaising with World Cup organisers to decide the next step, saying he wanted to know their views - and that of the UK government - on continuing the World Cup without the two teams, if that was a viable option.

He said: "The next week will be critical but despite whatever happens my job as IRL chair is to pick up the pieces of international rugby league's tarnished reputation."

Grant added that a number of players and coaches had said they were satisfied with the safety arrangements and "feel their own personal choice to participate or not in the World Cup has been taken from them".

The decision by Australia and New Zealand comes just a week after it was announced the tournament would go ahead as planned.

Image source, PA Media

Just joining us? Here's what's been happening this morning:

• More than 600,000 people were "pinged" with self-isolation alerts in the week up until 15 July, new figures show. The stats give a glimpse into the "pingdemic" which businesses have been complaining about, as staff miss work because they're self-isolating. The number of alerts sent is up 17% on the previous week. Although isolating after getting an app alert is only advisory, the government urges everyone who gets one to self-isolate
• Supermarkets say they're being hit by the rising numbers of workers self-isolating. The Co-Op says it's running low on some workers, while Iceland said shops were at risk of being shut. However, the public has been urged not to panic buy. Iceland said it's not necessary, and the government's business secretary said people shouldn't get the impression that every shelf is bare
• The government has promised to provide female guards to women who have to quarantine in UK hotels. It comes after a BBC report into allegations of sexual harassment at the hotels
• Two of the biggest rugby teams have pulled out of the Rugby League World Cup that was due to be held in England this autumn. Australia and New Zealand cited safety concerns for their players, and blamed "how the pandemic is being managed in the UK compared to Australasia"
• China has rejected proposals by the World Health Organization to further investigate how the Covid pandemic started. The head of the WHO called on China to be more co-operative about the early stages of the outbreak, including with audits of laboratories
• A BBC investigation has found the number of young people ending up in hospital with eating disorders in England has risen during the pandemic. The numbers are so high that hospitals are now warning they are running out of beds to care for these patients
• And a feature doing well for us today is on people moving to the seaside now that there's more freedom to work remotely. One family explains why they took the decision to move to Scarborough, and we explore whether they're part of a changing tide

Vicki Young
Deputy Political Editor

Image source, Reuters

Downing Street says the list of workers who will be exempt from self-isolation if they are fully vaccinated "should be today... we’re doing it as quickly as we can."

The prime minister’s official spokesman said the government would publish guidance online “setting out the process of how different sectors can apply".

He said “a number of exemptions have already been given” - for example for rail staff and those in the NHS.

There will be a list of sectors and how they can apply. The PM has said there will be a very small number of named fully-vaccinated individuals as well.

The spokesman said “isolation remains an incredibly important tool and it’s a way for people to protect themselves and their families…. it’s one of the most important levers we have to break chain of transmission".

He said that although "the app is doing what it's designed to do", Downing Street was "aware of the impact on some industries and services and working closely with them, particularly food and supermarkets". He added that "we have a robust and resilient food supply chain".

Image source, PA Media

Holidaymakers are being urged to take Covid tests before travelling to Cornwall and to bring spare tests with them.

Cornwall Council has asked people to order testing packs online and “respect local communities in holiday hotspots”.

The latest statistics show,Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with 383 cases per 100,000 people, some way below the overall England figure of 525 per 100,000.

Read more about the advice to visitors here.

Image source, Getty Images

Tokyo has recorded its highest number of new Covid infections for six months.

The Japanese capital confirmed 1,979 cases.

The host city of the Olympics remains under a state of emergency that will last throughout the Games. The opening ceremony for the Games is Friday.

City residents have been asked not to gather in the streets to watch Olympic events, while restaurants have been banned from selling alcohol and have been ordered to close early.

More than 80 people associated with the Games have already tested positive for Covid.

The head of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee has not ruled out cancelling the Games in light of rising infections in athletes.

Image source, Getty Images

We've been hearing from businesses with supply shortages today, and retail analyst Bryan Roberts tells the BBC there are several causes - including the weather.

"There are undoubtedly a lot of pressures across the supply chain at the moment, most notably a truck driver shortage caused by Brexit, the pandemic and pinging and then the impact of pinging for workers within manufacturing, distribution and stores themselves," says Roberts, who runs Shopfloor Insights.

"This has undoubtedly caused erratic supply in many categories and it is therefore no surprise to see more gaps than usual across supermarkets.

"That said, the hot weather has exacerbated these problems in two main ways. Firstly, hot weather causes surges in demand for categories including meat, salad, water and booze, so some of the pictures we are seeing are just down to huge demand that you would expect in any heatwave.

"Secondly, supermarket fridges and freezers in the UK are just not built for these temperatures - they can't cope and fall over until such time an engineer can fix them.

"In cases such as these, the product will be moved elsewhere in the store or put back in the warehouse chiller/freezer to avoid waste. The products are there - we just can't see them!"

Sean Coughlan
BBC News

Image source, BBC/Ceri Oakes

It was three in the morning when Sam Lancaster found her family's new Yorkshire home by the sea.

"I don't even know what brought Scarborough into my head. I just googled it," she says.

It was house-love at first sight. But there was another key piece of information. Her husband Craig had been told by his firm, Vodafone, that he could work - indefinitely - from home. Meetings with colleagues would take place virtually in future. Sam and Craig suddenly realised that they and their two daughters could live anywhere - including the seaside.

"If you can work from home, why wouldn't you move?" says Sam, who moved from Thatcham in Berkshire.

Some of their old friends also thought they were crazy for uprooting. Sam says they quietly asked her whether she thought it was a rash decision.

But there was another piece of rocket fuel for this life change.The awfulness of the pandemic made her think there was no point in hesitating.

The Lancasters could be part of a changing tide. The big beaches and widescreen skies have always made seaside towns seductive, but they can be slow to reach. Will remote working make the coast a practical option? Will people start moving to Zoomtown-on-Sea?

Read the full piece here.

Nadhim Zahawi - the UK's vaccines minister - has now finished his statement to the House of Commons.

Today's the last day of term for MPs in Parliament before the summer recess starts.

This is what we learned:

• Vaccines have stopped 52,600 people being hospitalised in England, new data released today by Public Health England shows
• People should still be cautious even though restrictions have been eased, Zahawi said, as the average number of daily cases is around 41,000 - and 34% of people aged 18 to 29 have still not had their first vaccine dose
• The government is still planning to make full vaccination a requirement for anyone wanting to go to nightclubs and certain other crowded venues. The plan is for it to come into force by the end of September - Zahawi said waiting until then was the right thing to do as businesses could prepare and all younger people would have time to get both jabs
• Asked about which venues will require people to prove they've had the vaccine, Zahawi said the government was most concerned about nightclubs and other crowded indoor settings like music venues, as well as large outdoor events like festivals or spectator sport events
• The actual Covid passport will be an NHS Covid pass, which will be available via the NHS app, the NHS website or by calling 119 and asking for a written document
• 16 August is still the date when the government is hoping to lift the rule to self-isolate after contact with someone with Covid - but this will only apply to people who are fully vaccinated, or children
• Zahawi was criticised by Labour's Jonathan Ashworth over the government's 3% pay rise for NHS staff, with Ashworth calling it a "shambles"

Image source, Reuters

China has rejected plans proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to further investigate the origins of the pandemic.

WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on China to be more co-operative about the early stages of the outbreak, including with audits of laboratories.

China has accused the plan of being politicised and said it could not accept it.

Read more about the virus origin probe here.

Back in the Commons, Labour's Barbara Keeley asks if people who are unpaid carers can be added to priority lists for booster vaccinations this autumn.

She also asks if those who took part in the Novavax vaccine trial can be included as having had a double vaccination for the purpose of vaccine passports.

Nadhim Zahawi says he is working with other countries to try and allow those who took part in the vaccine trial to travel abroad easily. He says the UK classifies these people as fully vaccinated.

Phase two of the autumn vaccine rollout will include unpaid carers, he adds.

Image source, Getty Images

As we mentioned earlier, the number of self-isolation app alerts sent in England and Wales rose by 17% last week.

However there were fewer pings sent per case than in previous weeks.

There were 2.8 pings issued by the NHS app in England during the week of 14 July for every reported case.

This is fewer than any week in the last month (about 3.2 pings per case reported) but still above levels seen in June and earlier in the year (e.g. 2.3 at the start of June and lower before that).

Some 607,486 contact tracing alerts, or pings, were sent by the contact tracing app in England in the week to 14 July.

A further 11,417 alerts were sent in Wales.

Latest government figures show a further 44,104 daily coronavirus cases were reported in the UK yesterday, as well as a further 73 Covid-related deaths.

Read more about the app here

Image source, Getty Images

Fuel retailer BP says it is experiencing fuel supply issues at some sites and has had to close "a handful of sites".

But it adds most of these temporary issues will be resolved within a day.

"Our supply chain has been impacted primarily by the industry-wide driver shortages across the UK.

"The situation was exacerbated last week by the temporary closure for a number of days of our Hemel Hempstead fuel distribution terminal due to necessary Covid-19 isolations amongst staff there."

We've got more on the situation at BP here.

The SNP's health spokeswoman, Philippa Whitford, asks whether the government can guarantee enough supplies of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine (younger people are not offered the Oxford vaccine) to jab everyone by the end of September, when full vaccination will be required to get into certain venues.

She suggests that making vaccination mandatory for social activities can increase distrust among people already hesitant to take it.

Whitford also expresses concern about the health secretary's estimation that cases could rise to 100,000 a day. Is the government considering the impact on vulnerable people, cases of long Covid or generating a newer variant resistant to vaccines.

And finally, she says: "What contingencies are being put in place in case during recess the government need to recess reintroduce Covid restrictions as has happened in Israel and the Netherlands?"

Zahawi says a number of countries have had to open up and then reverse some of their decisions which is "why we're being very careful to ensure this transition to step four... is as successful as possible".

In reply to her question about children's vaccination, he assures that the government does have the vaccine supply - even if it's recommended that all children are vaccinated.