Police chiefs are warning that the ongoing prisons overcrowding crisis will drive up violent crime, as more offenders are released back onto the streets before trial or after serving only a fraction of their sentences. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he was "flabbergasted" by the rising number of suspects charged with gun and knife offences being freed pre-trial, some even after being caught with a weapon for a fourth time, and predicted this would lead to more violent crime.

The warning comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham prepares to press ahead with an early release scheme that will free thousands of prisoners, including domestic abusers, by the end of the year, after they have served just a third of their sentence. Critics fear this will trigger a spike in crime, prompting the Daily Mail to ask readers whether Burnham should now scrap the scheme. A previous poll on driverless taxis drew over 2,700 votes, with 82 per cent saying they would not ride in one.