Criminals let off with a caution

More than 100 criminals in the West Midlands have dodged a court appearance by writing a letter of apology to their victim or paying them compensation, it was revealed today.

Yobs, vandals, drug addicts and thieves have all been given conditional cautions, a quick but controversial way of punishing lawbreakers who admit their guilt.

Figures released to the Express & Star reveal that 21 people were given the punishment in April, the month when it was rolled out across the West Midlands.

A further 37 were given conditional cautions in May. Earlier this month, Wolverhampton South West MP Rob Marris accepted a conditional caution for criminal damage after clambering over the bonnet of a parked van to board a bus.

He was upset when a car parked in a bus stop close to his home in Penn Fields and when the bus arrived decided to climb across it to get to the bus.

The 53-year-old, who was questioned by police after a complaint by the owner of the van, was taken to court and was due to face a trial.

But he instead agreed to pay for the near £350 damage caused to the vehicle and write a letter of apology to its owner as part of the conditions. Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that a further 62 people were given conditional cautions in a trial period run before April's launch.

They included 19 for criminal damage, 22 for drugs offences, one for fraud and forgery, two for theft of or from a vehicle, four for theft or handling stolen goods and 14 for violence.

Of those who received the punishments, two were aged 15 or under. Most were aged 17 to 50, but three of them were aged 50 or older.

Police say the move is more efficient than dragging criminals through courts only for them to escape with a small fine or conditional discharge. And they point out that victims are saved from having to give evidence.

But Wolverhampton Councillor Joan Stevenson believes people will view conditional cautions as "another way of not dealing with people properly in the first place".

She said it would be seen as another example of the Government's inadequate prison policy.

West Midlands Police said the conditions attached to cautions must be "appropriate and effective".

Insp Wayne Bernstein, of West Midlands Police's criminal justice unit, said conditional cautions would be used only for those who admitted their guilt for "relatively low level offences".