New UK data shows that UK police have solved zero burglaries in half the country as charging rates for the crime have plummeted in England and Wales.
The revelation prompted the ex-victims’ commissioner, Dame Vera Baird to speak out. She told the Telegraph: “What these figures show is that in half of the neighbourhoods, burgling somebody’s home is a free hit. The criminal can walk away with the proceeds and never look back.”
Personal Injury Claims UK conducted an investigation into burglaries in the UK through a series of Freedom of Information requests to all UK Police Forces.
See some of our findings below. Do check back on this page as we are continually updating our research.
You can also find out more about our ongoing research projects here.
Lancashire
Preston had the most home invasions in the county
Preston is the Lancashire hotspot for home invasions, accounting for 15% of all break-ins in the county in the past year, between 2022 and 2023.
Blackpool came second on the list, accounting for 15% of burglaries in the entire county. It was followed by Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and Lancaster, which made up 11%, 10% and 10% of figures respectively.
South Yorkshire
Burglary statistics South Yorkshire
Across South Yorkshire, there were 97 incidents of aggravated home burglaries in 2022. These are break-ins where there may have been a weapon, damage, vandalism or violence involved.
This decreased to 78 in 2023. So far as of March 1 2024, a total of 5 aggravated home burglaries have been recorded by South Yorkshire Police.
6,690 home burglaries were reported in 2022, which went down to 6,335 in 2023. The number of break-ins to businesses and community buildings also dropped from 2,467 to 2,213 last year.
Each area of South Yorkshire has seen a decrease in burglary crimes as a whole between 2022 and 2023, except for Barnsley, which saw a 4% rise.
Wiltshire
Swindon saw the most residential burglaries in Wiltshire
Swindon is the Wiltshire hotspot for home invasions, accounting for 29% of all break-ins in the county.
2,116 residential burglaries were recorded by Wiltshire Police in the last year, between 2022 and 2023, this accounts for around 6 home invasions on average every day across the area.
This includes both aggravated break-ins and distraction burglaries, which are sinister crimes whereby a person tries to gain access to your home by trying to trick you into believing they need help or are officials in the area.
Devizes came second on the list, accounting for 21% of burglaries across Wiltshire with a total of 440 incidents logged. It is followed by Trowbridge and Warminster, which made up 11% and 10% of figures respectively.
North Wales
Burglaries by area in North Wales Statistics
North Wales has the lowest crime rate in England and Wales with a rate of 2.7 crimes per year per 1,000 working people as of January 2024.
Across the region, there were 20 incidents of aggravated home burglaries in 2022. These are break-ins where there may have been a weapon, damage, vandalism or violence involved.
This decreased to 15 in 2023. So far as of March 1 2024, a total of 4 aggravated home burglaries have been recorded by North Wales Police.
1,100 home burglaries were reported in 2022, which went down to 1,034 in 2023. The number of break-ins to businesses and community buildings also dropped from 567 to 513 last year.
Each area of North Wales has seen a decrease in burglary crimes as a whole between 2022 and 2023, except for Anglesey, which saw a 2% rise.
The biggest decrease in burglary crimes was recorded in Conwy where numbers went down by an impressive 19%.
Flintshire saw just a 2% decrease in burglary crimes.
Cleveland
Burglary statistics by area in Cleveland
Cleveland recorded more than 3,750 residential burglaries alone last year from January 1, 2023 to 2024 – that is an average of 10 home invasions every day of the year.
The alarming figures have prompted the community program, CrimeStoppers to launch a campaign targeting burglary in the area.
Cleveland’s burglary crime rate stands at 8.6 crimes reported per 1,000 working people per year.
Personal Injury Claims UK has obtained data through Freedom of Information requests that reveal the current extent of the region’s violent and non-violent burglary crimes.
Across Cleveland, there were 145 incidents of aggravated home burglaries in 2022. These are break-ins where there may have been a weapon, damage, vandalism or violence involved.
This decreased to 119 in 2023. So far as of March 1 2024, a total of 4 aggravated home burglaries have been recorded by Cleveland Police.
2,832 home burglaries were reported in 2022, which went down slightly to 2,773 in 2023. The number of break-ins to businesses and community buildings also dropped from 917 to 816 last year.
Each area of Cleveland has seen a decrease in burglary crimes as a whole between 2022 and 2023, except for Stockton, which saw a significant 12% rise.
The biggest decrease in burglary crimes was recorded in Middlesborough where numbers went down by an impressive 23%.
Redcar and Cleveland saw a 10% dip in figures, while Hartlepool went down by 9%.
Stockton was the only area in the region to report an increase in the crimes, with numbers rising by 12% in just one year.
For more advice on criminal injury claims and CICA payouts, head here.
Leicestershire
There were an average of 14 burglaries a day recorded by Leicestershire Police since 2022.
We reveal the postcodes with the most and least burglary crimes across the county.
Figures provided cover the financial years 2022/23 and 2023 up to March 2024.
The LE3 postcode which covers Leicester, Glenfield, Braunstone Town, Leicester Forest East, Thorpe Astley and Frog Island had the most recorded burglary crimes over the past two years.
A staggering 1,442 instances were recorded by Police, accounting for 14% of all burglaries in Leicestershire since 2022.
Leicestershire Police recorded a total of 10,110 burglaries during this time, ranking 5th out of 52 counties for the worst burglary crime rates in England and Wales. This includes attempted break-ins, burglaries and distraction burglaries.
Distraction burglaries are when a person tries to gain access to your home by trying to trick you into believing they need help or are officials in the area.
Often they will operate in pairs so one attempts the distraction whilst the other one takes the opportunity to steal things in the home, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
The safest area in the county for the number of break-ins was DE74 which covers, Castle Donington, Kegworth, Diseworth, Lockington, Heminton, Isley Walton and Sutton Boninton.
Just one burglary crime was recorded in the last two years.
Similarly, CV6 – covering areas such as; Holbrooks, Hall Green, Court House Green, Foleshill, Rowley’s Green, Radford, Whitmore Park, Great Heath, Longford, Coundon, Keresley Newlands, Little Heath, Edgwick and Coventry in West Midlands, Warwickshire, recorded just one burglary crime.
Burglary crimes account for 4.7% of all recorded crimes in Leicestershire as of March 2024. The county ranks 5th out of 52 counties for the worst burglary crime rates in England and Wales.
However, figures are an improvement on the year before with burglary crimes in Leicestershire down by 7% in 2024, compared with 2022/23.
“It’s a fact that many burglars return to homes that they’ve previously burgled because the homeowner failed to upgrade security following the first burglary,” say Leicestershire Police.
A statement on its website adds: “They sometimes return to an area to try to burgle a nearby home that they spotted while committing a previous break in. Even more reason for you to ensure you keep your home as safe as houses.”
Personal Injury Claims UK has collated the figures for all postcodes in Leicestershire, revealing the most dangerous and safest areas for burglary crimes:
(Postcode/No. Of Burglary Crimes Between 2022/24)
- LE1 – 623
- LE10 – 414
- LE11 – 822
- LE12 – 397
- LE13 – 206
- LE14 – 115
- LE15 – 159
- LE16 – 184
- LE17 – 176
- LE18 – 338
- LE19 – 179
- LE2 – 1,241
- LE3 – 1,442
- LE4 – 891
- LE5 – 746
- LE6 – 107
- LE65 – 134
- LE67 – 500
- LE7 – 353
- LE8 – 273
- LE9 – 423
- NG10 – 2
- NG13 – 26
- NG32 – 13
- NG33 – 5
- PE9 – 38
- CV13 – 85
- CV6 – 1
- CV9 – 20
- DE11 – 7
- DE12 – 100
- DE73 – 4
- DE74 – 1
- DN21 – 5
West Midlands
Residential Burglaries across West Midlands Statistics
An average of 28 home break-ins were recorded by West Midlands Police every day in the last two years.
We investigated the exact number of residential burglaries in each area including Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton.
The figures provided cover the financial years 2022/23 and 2023 up to March 2024. The West Midlands ranks third out of 8 regions for the worst overall burglary rates in England and Wales.
The region recorded a total of 20,704 residential burglaries in the last two years including aggravated home burglaries and distraction burglaries.
Residential burglaries are by far the most common type across the West Midlands. In Birmingham, 58% of burglaries are home invasions.
Figures are slightly improving in the region with a 2.4% decrease in burglary crimes in 2023/24 compared with the previous year.
Greater Manchester
Burglary Offences across Greater Manchester Statistics
An eye-watering average of 57 burglaries were recorded by Greater Manchester Police every day in the last two years, new data has revealed.
The figures provided cover the financial years 2022/23 and 2023 up to March 2024. Greater Manchester ranks second out of 55 counties for the worst burglary rates in England and Wales.
A total of 41,478 burglaries were recorded in the region in the last two years including aggravated home burglaries and distraction burglaries.
Figures are improving in the region with an 8.4% decrease in burglary crimes in 2023/24 compared with the previous year.
Essex
Burglary offences across Essex statistics
An average of 7 burglaries every day were recorded by Essex Police in the last two years, new data has revealed.
Our investigation details the exact number of burglary offences in each area of Essex including Colchester, Basildon and Chelmsford.
It comes as Essex Police warn, “just don’t do it – you’ll be caught” as part of its latest crackdown on burglary offences.
The force says it is committed to taking burglars off the streets as it boasts a 26 reduction in residential burglaries this month compared to March last year, 2023.
Essex ranks fourteenth out of 52 counties for the worst burglary crime rates in England and Wales. However, it is one of just a few, where figures have actually increased substantially this year.
The region records a whopping 11.3% increase in the crimes from the year before, 2023.
A total of 5,304 offences were recorded by Essex police since 2022, including attempted burglary and distraction burglaries.
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire Burglary Offences between 2022-24
An average of 10 burglaries every day were recorded by Hertfordshire Police in the last two years.
We reveal the exact number of burglary offences in each area of Hertfordshire including Watford, St. Albans and Hertford.
Figures provided cover the financial years 2022/23 and 2023 up to March 2024.
Hertfordshire Police recorded a total of 7,315 burglary crimes during this year. This includes break-ins as well as distraction burglaries.
Compared with other counties in England and Wales, Hertfordshire ranks 24th safest for burglary crimes. But, figures have increased by 8% this year, compared with figures for 2022/23.
The area with the most burglaries in the county is Dacorum, recording 1,045
Last on the list with the least number of break-ins is Stevenage with 4-4 recorded in the last two years.
North Yorkshire
Burglary Crimes North Yorkshire Statistics
An average of 6 break-ins every day were recorded by North Yorkshire Police in the last two years.
One area in the region accounted for 28% of the entire county’s figures. Another district increased by a staggering 81% from one year to the next.
The figures provided cover the financial years 2022/23 and 2023 up to March 2024. North Yorkshire ranks 11th out of 52 counties for the worst overall burglary rates in England and Wales.
The majority of areas across the county have shown an improvement to figures in the last two years, except to key areas, York and Hambleton.
It comes as North Yorkshire Police promised a crackdown on the crimes last week following an increase in business theft and burglary.
The force initiated a new operation after a spate of burglaries on businesses including a cheese shop in York, which was broken into three times in two weeks.
Across the county, police recorded 4,464 burglary crimes since 2022 including; aggravated burglary, attempted burglary and distraction burglary in business and homes.
We found that the majority of burglaries during this time happen within York City Council area.
The district totaled 1,238 offences in the past two years, accounting for a staggering 28% of all the county’s burglary crimes.
What’s more, figures increased by a hefty 8% between 2022/23 and 2023/24.
The other area where offences increased was Hambleton District Council district which recorded 410 in total.
Numbers leaped from 183 in 2022/23 to 227 in 2023/24 – that’s a staggering increase of 81%