Crime

It's hard to measure crime, which can make news stories seem more worrying than they really are. We look past the headlines to explain the full picture.

30 June 2025

An image of policemen kneeling in front of a group of Muslims is probably AI

We fact checked this image when it was being shared last year. If you look at it closely, it’s clearly fake.

28 May 2025

Is the government meeting its key pledges on crime?

Full Fact takes a look at whether the government is meeting its key pledges on crime

15 May 2025

Is Peter Sullivan the victim of the ‘longest-running’ miscarriage of justice in UK history?

Following this week’s exoneration of Peter Sullivan, who spent almost 38 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, many newspapers and media outlets said the case was …

9 April 2025

BBC radio bulletins massively overstate Britain’s cocaine consumption

News bulletins on Radio 2, Radio 3 and 6 Music claimed Britain consumes “117 million tonnes” each year—which is roughly a million times what National Crime Agency estimates suggest.

7 April 2025

Was Netflix’s Adolescence based on a true story?

Some, including Kemi Badenoch, have suggested the series was based on a real-life crime committed by a boy who wasn’t white—but the show’s co-creators say it wasn’t based on any single case.

31 March 2025

Warnings of a knife-wielding teenage killer on the loose are hoaxes

The images date back to 2018 and the man pictured was convicted of a different offence to those claimed.

25 March 2025

Posts about a murder suspect on the run in England are false

The mugshot accompanying the posts was taken by police in Australia in 2016.

28 February 2025

Posts warning a killer is on the loose are false

The posts feature an image of a man who is allegedly on the run in connection with the incident, but this is not true.

13 February 2025

MPs listed in viral image didn't 'vote' against deportation of foreign rapists

Those named on the list signed a letter asking the government to halt the deportation of foreign criminals, some of whom were rapists, until a report into the Windrush scandal had been published.

11 February 2025

Facebook posts about ‘found’ boy taken to police station are hoaxes

The posts have been shared in Facebook community groups across the UK, each claiming the little boy has been found locally.

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Crime

An image of policemen kneeling in front of a group of Muslims is probably AI

Is the government meeting its key pledges on crime?

Is Peter Sullivan the victim of the ‘longest-running’ miscarriage of justice in UK history?

BBC radio bulletins massively overstate Britain’s cocaine consumption

Was Netflix’s Adolescence based on a true story?

Warnings of a knife-wielding teenage killer on the loose are hoaxes

Posts about a murder suspect on the run in England are false

Posts warning a killer is on the loose are false

MPs listed in viral image didn't 'vote' against deportation of foreign rapists

Facebook posts about ‘found’ boy taken to police station are hoaxes

Full Fact fights bad information