The worst police forces fail to solve more than 90 percent of burglaries

Suella Braverman has been accused of losing control of crime after new figures revealed at least 100,000 burglaries went unsolved last year.

Almost three-quarters of the 137,000 burglary reports were dropped with no suspects, according to new figures from the Liberal Democrats.

The City of London and Cumbria Armed Forces were the worst culprits, failing to solve 93 and 91 per cent of cases respectively. Cumbria Police dropped 938 of the 1,008 cases reported.

The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number of burglary reports at 37,726. They subsequently solved just 26,974 of them – just over 70 percent and a sharp drop from the 85 percent solved in 2021.

Other major police forces including West Midlands, Merseyside and West Yorkshire were also guilty of closing thousands of cases without identifying a suspect.

The Cleveland Police Department was the most successful of the 26 responders that responded to freedom of information requests, resolving 92 percent of all burglaries.

In October, the Council of National Police Chiefs confirmed that all home burglaries were monitored by the police.

Leader Martin Hewitt said: “Wherever you live in England and Wales, if you witness a home invasion you can be assured that the police will step in. As a result, more burglaries should be solved and more perpetrators prosecuted.’

Last night the Home Secretary was urged to back a new legal guarantee that would ensure all burglaries are monitored by the police and properly investigated.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “Burglars get away with it while victims are denied justice.

“The Conservative Party has lost control of crime because the Home Secretary is only interested in PR stunts and headlines instead of doing the hard work and fighting the criminal gangs that sow fear in local communities.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “We welcome the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which show burglaries have fallen by 34 per cent since December 2019.

“The interior minister has made it clear to the police chiefs that emergency services must be present for all burglaries. We support the Armed Forces’ commitment to deliver on that promise and expect them to implement it as soon as practicable.’