ALMOST 90 per cent of burglaries reported in the district during the last two years remain unsolved.

Latest figures reveal that no-one has been caught for 88.8 per cent of the crimes.

The shock statistics from West Yorkshire Police show that 12,453 out of 14,015 burglaries reported to police in Bradford district between August 31, 2012 and July 31, 2014 went undetected.

But police insist they have made "significant efforts" over the last two years to reduce burglaries and target burglary hotspots.

Superintendent Scott Bisset, head of operations at Bradford District police, said domestic burglaries had dropped by 25 per cent.

But Councillor Imran Hussain, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said the number of burglaries unsolved was the one to focus on.

“This figure is one we should all be concerned about because It is a figure that is way too high and needs to be reduced,” he said.

Shipley MP Philip Davies – whose constituency includes Cullingworth and Denholme – blamed the courts, saying they should come down harder on burglars.

“West Yorkshire has long been a hotspot for burglary,” he added. “It has long been known that detection rates for burglary are pretty hopeless.

“But it is important that burglars, once caught, are properly punished, because the chances are they are not on their first offence.”

Of the 14,015 burglaries reported, 763 resulted in a charge or summons, 62 ended with a caution, 396 were taken into consideration, ten were dealt with by way of community resolution and 331 are ongoing investigations.