More than 4,000 criminals go on to offend again

More than 4,000 criminals in the West Midlands and Staffordshire reoffended last year, it was revealed today. Seven per cent of 58,032 convicted offenders committed a new crime, or crimes, in 2010 in the two regions.

The figures have been revealed by Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust and bosses are pleased, claiming reoffending rates were slightly below those expected by the Government. But a former police chief superintendent said today claimed the statistics were "a play on figures".

Almost 500 criminals in Staffordshire clocked up fresh convictions last year while there were 360 reoffenders in Sandwell, 300 in both Wolverhampton and Walsall, and 250 in Dudley.

Almost 1,500 of 21,000 criminals in Birmingham reoffended last year.

Reoffending rates were lowest in Staffordshire, with just over six per cent of its convicted population of 7,643 returning to criminal activity, and highest in Walsall.

Almost nine per cent of 3,624 criminals in the borough extended their records.

The figures for the West Midlands and Staffordshire, which also included Coventry, Solihull and Stoke-on-Trent, are down by around a tenth on 2009, when around 4,500 reoffended.