By GB News (World News) | Created at 2025-01-09 16:04:29 | Updated at 2025-01-10 02:04:15
10 hours ago
Almost four in five car thefts across England and Wales have remained unsolved according to shocking new Home Office data.
A staggering 24,837 vehicle theft cases remained unsolved in the quarter ending June 2024, representing 78.5 per cent of all reported incidents.
The figures, released this week, paint a concerning picture of law enforcement's ability to tackle vehicle crime across the nation.
The data revealed thousands of victims are being left without justice as police forces struggle to solve car theft cases.
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The Metropolitan Police recorded the worst performance, with 90 per cent of all reported car thefts going unsolved in London.
South Yorkshire followed closely behind, with 85 per cent of vehicle thefts remaining unresolved.
Several other regions showed similar statistics, with Essex, Wiltshire, Sussex and Hertfordshire all reporting at least 80 per cent of car thefts unsolved during the recorded period.
This stands in stark contrast to Dyfed-Powys in Wales, which emerged as the best-performing force with only 38 per cent of cases going unsolved, followed by Norfolk at 39 per cent.
But the charging rate for car thefts remains alarmingly low, with just 2.8 per cent of cases resulting in charges or summons across England and Wales.
This represents fewer than 900 cases where suspects were charged during the quarter ending June 2024, the report stated.
The figures suggest that out of 31,654 vehicle theft investigations concluded during this period, only 883 led to criminal charges.
This data, compiled from Home Office statistics, indicates that the vast majority of car thieves are evading prosecution. The low prosecution rate stands in stark contrast to the high volume of reported thefts, leaving thousands of victims without resolution.
Metropolitan Police saw 90 per cent of all car theft cases remain unsolved
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She added: “This cannot continue. Every victim of a crime deserves to feel safe and protected by the police, but unfortunately after brutal cuts to community police officers that is far from the truth.”
In response to the news, the Liberal Democrats have called for urgent restoration of proper community policing with adequate resources.
