Scotland has second highest murder rate in Europe

Scotland has the second highest murder rate in western Europe and Scots are more than three times more likely to be murdered than people in England and Wales, according to a study by the World Health Organisation.

The study, based on the latest crime figures from 21 western European countries, finds that only Finland has a higher murder rate than Scotland.

Scotland's homicide rate is 2.33 deaths for every 100,000 people each year, compared with 0.7 in England and Wales. In Spain it is 1.02, and in Italy 0.96. Germany has western Europe's lowest murder rate: 0.68 per 100,000 people.

While Finland's high murder rate is attributed to its liberal penal policy, which sees offenders sent to jail only as a very last resort, Scotland's rate is put down to the use of alcohol and drugs.

Almost half of murders in Scotland are committed by people under the influence of drink or drugs - particularly in Glasgow, which, despite its successful effort to shed its hardman image in the city centre, is still plagued with violence in its east end and hinterland estates.

Scotland's second city is in fact the murder capital of Europe, with about 70 killings each year. Much of the violence is caused by gangs vying to control the city's drugs trade.

But a culture of young men carrying knives also plays a part.

Official figures show that serious crime in the city has risen heavily: murders increased by 19% from 70 in 2003 to 83 in 2004. Attempted murders rose by a third in the same period, from 343 to 459.

John Carnochan, head of Strathclyde police's violence reduction unit, said the figures showed "new thinking" was required, and although a great deal of money had been spent, levels of violence remained "unacceptably high".

Annabel Goldie, the Scottish Conservatives' home affairs spokeswoman, said a zero tolerance approach to policing should be adopted.

The WHO report follows a United Nations report last week which said Scotland was the most violent country in the developed world: more than 2,000 people were subject to a violent attack each week, more than 10 times official police figures. However, the report's claim was disputed by politicians and senior police officers.

Another study from the University of California, to be published later this year, will claim Scotland has a higher homicide rate than America, Israel, Uzbekistan, Chile and Uruguay.