THE ROBBERY HOTSPOTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES

The neighbourhoods and town centres where people are most likely to be mugged, carjacked or threatened and forced to hand over mobile phones have been revealed

- By RICHARD AULT

LAST year, police recorded more than 80,000 crimes of robbery in England and Wales. That is any crime where an offender uses force or the threat of force to steal.

It can include mugging (where someone is attacked and robbed on the street), robbery by intimidation (making someone think violence or force will be used to steal from them), carjacking (using force to steal a vehicle), an armed robbery or a bank robbery.

It is a more serious offence than simple theft and can leave victims suffering psychological harm, even triggering long-term mental health issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

As with most crime types, robberies are more likely to take place in busy town and city centres than in residential neighbourhoods.