UK policing minister's purse stolen during conference on crime

Theft took place at hotel in Warwickshire where Diana Johnson delivered a speech on antisocial behaviour and theft

Diana Johnson, the United Kingdom's minister for policing and crime prevention, had her purse stolen while attending the Police Superintendents' Association conference on Tuesday in Warwickshire.

The theft took place at a hotel near Kenilworth, where Johnson was delivering a speech highlighting concerns over the rising issue of antisocial behaviour, theft, and shoplifting in towns and cities across the UK.

Warwickshire Police are investigating the incident, confirming that a 56-year-old man from Coventry has been arrested on suspicion of burglary.

The suspect has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed Johnson was the victim, as initially reported by the Financial Times.

Despite the incident, Johnson did not reference the theft in her post on X (formerly Twitter), where she expressed satisfaction with her address to the police leadership and reiterated the government's commitment to tackling serious crime and restoring public trust in law enforcement.

Johnson’s speech emphasized the need to combat antisocial behaviour and rebuild community policing.

She acknowledged the efforts of police officers but stressed that many victims feel ignored when seeking police assistance.

Labour has pledged to address crime through the recruitment of 3,000 new police officers and 4,000 police community support officers.

However, the government faces backlash over the early release of over 1,700 prisoners due to overcrowding in the UK prison system.

Warwickshire Police continue to investigate the theft.