Crime figure fiddling in is being looked at by Herts’ chief constable in the wake of national controversy.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Andy BlissAndy Bliss (Image: Archant)

Police and crime commissioner David Lloyd has asked chief constable Andy Bliss to look at Herts Constabulary’s stats, after a former Met Police chief said the massaging of crime statistics is the “biggest scandal coming our way”.

Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, who was a Scotland Yard commissioner for six years, called for an urgent investigation into how every force recorded crime at a meeting of the Commons’ Home Affairs Select Committee.

Commissioner Lloyd said he had no reason to doubt the county’s figures, which saw recorded crime drop by 10 per cent in the 12 months leading up to July 2012.

Prior to that, in the 12 months leading up to December 2011, crime fell by four per cent.

Commissioner Lloyd said: “I have no reason to doubt the constabulary’s crime figures, but I recognise the recent national concerns and I have asked the Chief Constable to look into the issues raised nationally and how they relate to Hertfordshire to further reassure me to this end.”

Herts police’s crime recording processes will be examined independently by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in March.

A Herts Constabulary spokesman said “crime recording is absolutely essential to ensure public trust and confidence”, as well as helping officers fight crime.

He told the Welwyn Hatfield Times there are systems in place to “ensure overall crime recording is accurate and we take action where we feel that high standards are not being met”.

He said: “The people of Hertfordshire do not want to be a victim of crime, but when they are they expect us to take them seriously, record their crime accurately, provide victim care of the highest standard and do the best we can to bring the offender to justice.

“We have a high level of confidence in our data and the vast majority of crimes are recorded in line with national standards.”