NEW research has revealed that only 6 per cent of burglary cases in Avon and Somerset resulted in a criminal charge.

The analysis, which was carried out by the Liberal Democrats, showed that just 351 out of 4,535 burglary cases in 2023 saw a criminal charged with an offence.

The Liberal Democrats hit out at the government over the figures, saying that cuts to police services had left the force “overstretched” and people ‘feeling unsafe in their own homes.’

The Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos, has now joined his party’s call for a ‘burglary response guarantee’ which would force police to attend all reports of domestic burglary. Commenting, he said:

“With the vast majority of burglaries still going unsolved in Avon and Somerset, too many people feel unsafe in their own homes.

“We now see the budget put forward by the Conservatives’ Police and Crime Commissioner will cut 80 Police Community Support Officers.

“Time and again, this Conservative Government has failed to deliver the absolute basics of stopping and solving crime. But enough is enough.

“Our area deserves better. It’s high time to bring an end to this shameful burglar bailout - which is why Liberal Democrats will keep pushing the Conservatives to implement our Burglary Response Guarantee and get more bobbies on the beat.”