Law-abiding majority 'is a myth'

More than six out of 10 people regularly commit crimes against the government, their employers or businesses, research suggests.

Keele University researchers said it showed petty crime was rife among the middle classes and exposed the "law-abiding majority" to be a myth.



Their poll of 1,807 people in England and Wales found 61% had committed one of a series of offences.

They included paying "cash in hand" to avoid VAT and stealing items from work.

The study found that around one-third of those questioned (34%) paid "cash in hand" to avoid taxation and about one in five (18%) had taken something, such as stationery, from work.