Almost 250,000 burglary offences were recorded across England and Wales last year alone
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Across a third of neighbourhoods in England and Wales, not a single break-in was solved.
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Police failed to solve a colossal 92 per cent of burglaries in Britain last year, an investigation revealed today.
Across a third of neighbourhoods in England and Wales, not a single break-in was solved, an investigation by The Sun has found.
Meanwhile, fewer than one in 100 mobile phone thefts led to a suspect being charged.
The shadow home secretary has branded the figures “totally unacceptable”.
Out of the 184,783 cases finalised in 2025, roughly 143,000 were shut without a suspect being identified – amounting to 393 cases a day.
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Shadow home secretary Chris Philp.
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Alamy
A further 27,500 cases identified a suspect but failed to lead to a prosecution, while in 400 cases, police decided further action was “not in the public interest”.
Around 45,000 investigations remain ongoing, many of which are expected to close without result.
Around the country, Colindale in north London was revealed as Britain’s break-in capital – with 131 burglaries investigated and none solved.
Seven of the 10 worst-affected areas were in London, including Totteridge and Woodside, Abbey Road, Cockfosters, Maida Vale and New Cross.
Colindale in north London was revealed as Britain’s break-in capital.
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Alamy
Elsewhere, parts of Basingstoke in Hampshire saw no cases solved, while northern Stevenage recorded 78 burglaries with zero resolved.
Leeds was the worst-hit overall, with 4,414 burglaries across four neighbourhoods but just 248 resolved.
Nationally, 1,528 of 4,536 neighbourhoods with recorded burglaries saw no convictions at all – totalling to around 34 per cent.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: “Our major police reforms will see a new National Police Service take on national responsibilities so local forces can focus on local crimes like burglary.
“By the spring, an additional 3,000 neighbourhood officers will be back where they belong, on the beat, fighting crime and catching criminals in our communities.”
Leeds was the worst-hit overall, with 4,414 burglaries across four neighbourhoods but just 248 resolved.
Picture:
Getty
Sue Sim, former chief constable of Northumbria police, told LBC: “Horrific is not hard enough word to describe these figures.”
She added that the difficulty was a great many forces across the country do not dispatch officers upon first receiving notice of a burglary.
She continued: “In my day, officers had to be dispatched within ten minutes.”
