New crime figures show soaring numbers of firearms offences as the government seeks to get to grips with Britain's "gun culture".

Government statistics show a 35 per cent rise in gun crimes in 2001-2002.

Included in the figures are a 46 per cent jump in the use of handguns and a 34 per cent increase in the number of armed robberies.

The latest police statistics show firearms were used in 9974 recorded crimes in the 12 months to last April, up from 7362.

Crimes involving handguns have now more than doubled since the 1997 post-Dunblane weapons ban, from 2636 in 1997-1998 to 5871 last year.

Ahead of the release - showing a 46 per cent year on year - jump in gun crime the home secretary last night acted to tighten up the country's firearms law.

Tough new legislation will ban the carrying of replicas guns and air weapons and stop under-17s owning airguns.

David Blunkett is also examining a ban on the sale, manufacture and the import of "tandem air cartridge systems" which can be converted to fire live ammunition.

"We are determined to tackle gun crime. Our guns laws are already among the tightest in the world, and these new controls will help the police to deal effectively with anyone misusing replica weapons or airguns," he said."Our crackdown on airguns is part of the government's wider commitment to tackle the anti social behaviour which blights some of our most vulnerable communities and breeds a fear of crime."

The figures are released ahead of a top level summit on "gun culture" set for Friday.

Publishing the latest crime count, Home Office minister, John Denham, stressed that "crime overall remains stable."

"I am concerned at the significant rise that we have seen in firearm offences," he said.

"The home secretary is to hold a 'round table' meeting tomorrow with key groups to make sure we are doing all we can to tackle gun crime."

New statistical methods for July to September 2002 and the 12 months to September 2002 show overall recorded crime to have risen by 9.3 per cent.

But adjusted figures place the rate at a stable two per cent increase and a one per cent drop on the quarter.

But amid a row over sentencing, the statistics reveal that domestic burglary increased five per cent (on adjusted figures).

Robbery was up overall 13 per cent on the adjusted figure but during the government's high-profile street crime initiative "muggings" dropped by 10 per cent.

Research released by the Youth Justice Board will show that recent rises in "mugging" are linked to schoolyard incidents and "mobile phones [as] a must-have status symbol for today's teenagers".

Denham welcomed progress on street robbery.

"In July the government restated its commitment to reducing street crime, and our street crime initiative in 10 police force areas succeeded in reducing this type of crime by 16 per cent," he said.

Drug offences rose by 12.3 per cent but no adjusted figures were available for this category.

Quarterly figures show a four per cent rise in violent crime - 28 per cent under the unadjusted count.

The Conservatives have accused the government of failing on law and order.

Shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin described the figures as "truly terrible".

"Despite the street crime initiative, robbery is massively up. So are domestic burglary, retail burglary and drug offences," he said.

"The only word for this is failure: the government's response of knee jerk reactions, gimmicks and initiatives is not working and confused signals on sentences for burglary will not help either."

"The figures will continue to be dreadful until the government produces a coherent long term strategy to attack crime at its roots and get police visibly back on our streets.''

And called for police action against drug dealing gangs.

"The increase in firearm crimes is drug-related. The problem won't be solved until the gangs are broken up and the streets reclaimed for the honest citizen by proper neighbourhood policing."

Adding to the mix of "tweaked" police figures the Home Office has also published British Crime Survey data (BCS).

These figures based on polling of people's crime experience shows a seven per cent drop in crime contributing to a 27 per cent fall in the rate since 1997.

This measure is now billed as "the most reliable indicator of crime trends" following a series of changes to the way recorded figures are gathered.

As parliament gears up to debate controversial law and order legislation, ministers have also published research on fear of crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as public attitudes towards the criminal justice system.

The BCS studies bear out Home Office reasoning on the Criminal Justice and Anti-Social Behaviour Bills.

Home Office ministers believe that while fear of crime under the BCS count is falling "anti-social behaviour is still affecting the quality of life of a third of us".

"It impacts adversely upon the lives of many people and can cause misery and distress and undermine people's confidence," said Denham.

"We will shortly be publishing a white paper that will seek to redress the balance; ensure that people of all ages are aware of their responsibilities; and protect communities from the debilitating effects of such behaviour."

Other research cited by minister in their crusade to overhaul the criminal justice system are BCS figures finding less than half of adults (44 per cent) believe that the criminal justice system is effective in bringing people to justice.

Ahead of Westminster battles over plans to scrap double jeopardy and limit jury trial, Blunkett will also point to official statistics revealing only 34 per cent are the courts meet the needs of victims.

Police recording methods have changed twice in as many years - causing crime inflation in politically sensitive categories of violent offences.

A new National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS), introduced in April 2002, means that police must register a crime as soon as someone reports it to a police station - before the change offences would not be recorded until officers were satisfied that an offence had been committed.

"The NCRS has inevitably led to increases in police recorded crime," concedes the Home Office.

"In July 2002 the Home Office announced that the NCRS would have an estimated effect of increasing recorded crime by 15 to 20 per cent."

And "inflation" is expected to impact on the figures for years to come.

"The first set of recorded crime figures which do not have an NCRS effect are expected to be published by summer 2005 at the latest," admit officials.

Minor offences, that once would not have made it into the figures, are now counted as violent crime.

"A victim reports that, in an argument with someone else, they were pushed, although they have not been injured. This will result in a recording of a violent crime, on the evidence of the victim. This may not have been recorded as such in the past," says official guidance on NCRS.

In other years the inclusion of common assault and harassment offences - which need not involve physical contact - under the category "violence against the person" have led to large apparent rises in the statistical category "violence against the person".