The Government should combat crime by concentrating on social problems such as poverty, a report has said.

Think-tank the Crime and Society Foundation said reforms of the criminal justice system were largely ineffective and the Government was ignoring the suffering of thousands of victims because it was concentrating on targeting crime through policing and the courts.

Eradicating crime by improving the standard of living would reduce crime far more effectively, its report went on.

"A serious attempt to tackle poverty and inequality is likely to have benefits far beyond simply making the poor better off," said the study.

"It is plausible to argue systematic attempts to address income in society."

"The tragedy lies not in the desire to address the causes of criminality, but in the concentration of energies on various criminal justice programmes."