EMBARGO: Immediate release

Almost 900 unsolved burglaries on Christmas Day as 54,364 go unsolved in recent Decembers

Freedom of Information Act requests from the Liberal Democrats to all police forces in England and Wales have revealed 899 Christmas Day burglaries that have gone unsolved in the last three years. 

The new information was requested by the Lib Dems and has revealed the huge extent of burglaries that have gone unsolved across England and Wales in the Christmas month. The request was replied to by 36 police forces. 

In the last three Decembers there have been 65,542 burglaries, and a staggering 54,364 of these cases were closed with no suspect identified. 

The police force with the most December burglaries unsolved in the last three years was the Metropolitan police with 16,314 of 13,957 cases closed without a suspect even being identified. 

Meanwhile, West Midlands and Greater Manchester police forces have both seen over 5,000 burglaries go unsolved in the last three December’s. 

On Christmas day in 2019, 2020 and 2021 899 burglaries were closed without a suspect being identified. The highest being in London with the Met Police Force closing 198 Christmas burglary cases. 

Commenting Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: 

“On Christmas Day it's supposed to be Santa coming down the chimney, not a burglar through the window. 

“Burglaries are a horrid and intrusive crime that can have a long-lasting emotional impact on victims. To see so many burglaries going unsolved, especially during the festive period, is a damning indictment of this Government's record on crime. 

“Time and time again the Conservatives have failed to tackle crime. Their inaction has led to thousands of criminals getting away with it and thousands of families waiting endlessly for justice that may never arrive.

“The Liberal Democrats have a plan to tackle crime and crackdown on burglaries. We need a return to proper community policing on our streets and more support for our local police forces.”

ENDS 

Notes to Editors: 

The below request was sent to all police forces in England and Wales: 

Under the Freedom of Information Act, please can I ask the following information on burglaries committed during December in the past five calendar years (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017).

How many burglaries were reported to your force in December in each of the past five calendar years (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017).?

Of these, how many were committed on the 25th December?

Of the burglaries reported in December, how many were subsequently closed without a suspect being identified? Please could you provide this information broken down by calendar year.

Full results can be found here:  Christmas Burglaries