Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has warned that dangerous suspects charged with serious knife and firearms offences are repeatedly being released on bail rather than remanded in custody, a situation he described as "flabbergasted" and "deeply concerning". Speaking to the London Policing Board, he said the trend risks a rise in violent crime, with some individuals bailed even after being caught with weapons for a fourth time, and cited cases where people previously kept on remand have since been linked to stabbings and homicides.

Rowley revealed that more than 30 people charged with serious firearms offences in London are currently on bail, including nine who allegedly fired shots during confrontations while awaiting trial. Separately, electronic tag breaches by bailed suspects have surged nearly 50 per cent in six months, from 2,977 in January to 4,408 in July in London alone, contributing to roughly 3,000 breaches weekly across England and Wales, with courts re-releasing offenders in nine out of ten cases. The warning comes as Labour's Sentencing Act, intended to ease prison overcrowding, is set to allow thousands of criminals to be released early, a move police chiefs fear will further strain bail monitoring and offender control.