The national Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (October 2013, Ministry of Justice) defines a victims as:

• a person who has suffered harm, including physical, mental or emotional harm or economic loss which is directly caused by criminal conduct; or
• a close relative of a person whose death was directly caused by criminal conduct.

Yes you can.  You may not want to report to the Police, or may not feel ready for example if you are in an abusive domestic situation.  If you are or have been a victim of crime, or have been affected by a crime, practical and emotional help is available to you regardless of whether you have reported to the Police and regardless of when the crime happened.

The type of support depends on your particular situation and what help you need, but typically it can be practical help (e.g., home security advice if you have been burgled), emotional help (e.g., talking things through with someone who understands to help you cope with and recover from what has happened) and advocacy where you may need help to deal with financial, housing or legal issues.

You can also get help and support if you have been a victim or witness to crime and the case goes to court.

For general help contact Victim Support.  If your support needs are more specific, for example if you have been a victim of sexual violence or domestic abuse, contact the specialist service providers listed in your area.

There are other nationally provided services for bereaved families such as Support after Murder and Manslaughter and Brake for families of victims of culpable road deaths.

Dial 999 in an emergency.   You can also call the non-emergency number 101 or call in at your local police station.

If you have a hearing or speech impairment you can use Essex Police’s Minicom line 01245 452828.  There is also a language line available to take details for those who do not speak English.

You can report a crime anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.  Young people can report anonymously online at Fearless.

When your crime is investigated, you should be given information about who your main contact is, how often you will be kept updated on progress with your case, what happens if the case goes to court and information about victim services.

If your case goes to court  you will be given information about what support is available to you and the opportunity to make a Victim Personal Statement or Business Impact Statement which can be read out in court. 

The national Code of Practice for Victims of Crime sets out what victims of crime can expect from each of the statutory services, such as the police and the courts, with enhanced entitlements for support available for victims of the most serious crime, persistently targeted victims, and vulnerable and intimidated victims.

An EU Victims Directive (2012/29/EU) outlines minimum standards for all victims of crime regardless of whether they have reported to the police.

ASB can relate to a wide number of issues including noisy neighbours, nuisance related to alcohol, dogs or large groups of people.  ASB is not considered a crime but can escalate to cases of harrassment, criminal damage or hate crime.  There are different scales of anti-social behaviour but in the worst cases it can involve repeat offences and can leave people in genuine fear of their or their family's safety.  There are a number of ways to deal with ASB; more information about options and advice is available on the ASB Help website.

Yes.  If you have reported the crime to the Police and the case goes to Court, then you can make a Business Impact Statement which can be read out in Court.

Action Fraud and the Metropolitan Police Service have published the "little book of scams" which contains relevant information on how businesses can protect themselves from fraud and what to do if you are a victim of fraud.