Many of Britain's street robbers reportedly commit their crimes for enjoyment, a study by the University of Glamorgan finds.

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The report, authored by Professor Trevor Bennett and Fiona Brookman, is based on interviews with 120 offenders by the country's Economic and Social Research Council, Sky News reported Wednesday.

The top five reasons for committing the crimes given by the interviewed offenders were to have a "good time," the desire to build and maintain "street cred," informal justice, the need for a "buzz" and the enjoyment of a good fight, the report said.

"Both the amount and the severity of gratuitous violence used in street robbery are increasing in the U.K.," the report said.

"But because the number of studies is very small, and tends to be limited to what the precise situation was in each case and whether the assault was likely to lead to financial gain, this worrying social problem is poorly documented and understood."