Police minister has purse stolen while speaking at policing conference about ’an epidemic of theft’

The Policing Minister had her purse stolen while attending a police event attended by the UK’s most senior officers - where she spoke about an ’epidemic’ of theft gripping the UK. Dame Diana Johnson was the keynote speaker at the Police Superintendents Association’s (PSA) Conference, and lamented how stealing and anti-social behaviour was ’corroding’ communities. But while she was at the four-star Chesford Grange hotel, near Kenilworth in Warwickshire on Tuesday, her purse was lifted Warwickshire Police confirmed that a 56-year-old man from Coventry had been arrested and bailed in relation to the crime. In her speech to the assembled speakers Dame Diana said: ’Too many town centres and high streets across the country have been gripped by an epidemic of anti-social behaviour, theft and shoplifting which is corroding our communities and cannot be allowed to continue.’ It was also the same day that ministers freed around 1,700 offenders early from prison to free up cells. The exodus from jails across England and Wales came after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans in July to cut temporarily the proportion of sentences which inmates must serve behind bars from 50 per cent to 40 per cent as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said overcrowding had pushed jails to the ’point of collapse’. Pictures showed groups of inmates walking out of Brixton, Durham and Liverpool jails. Around 400 prisoners are reportedly due to be freed from London prisons alone. The latest releases are in addition to the around 1,000 inmates normally freed each week. A Warwickshire Police spokesman said: ’We’re investigating a report of the theft of a purse at a hotel on the B4115 in Kenilworth. ’The theft occurred some time between 11am and on Tuesday. Enquiries are ongoing. ’A 56-year-old man from Coventry has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.’ Join this channel to get access to perks: