Just 6% of burglaries are solved by police – but over in Manchester, things have been a bit different
Early morning in south Manchester – and a prolific burglar known to police is arrested for a spate of thefts.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police were granted a warrant to enter and search the home of the man, who is believed to have stolen items from student accommodation.
Enough evidence was seized and examined to charge him on the same day. This was clearly a successful morning for GMP’s officers – something they’re witnessing more frequently – but across the country it’s a rarity.
Only 6% of burglaries a year are solved by police across England and Wales – a shockingly low figure that has decreased over the last few years. But in Manchester things have been a bit different over the past 15 months, and the picture is changing.
The police’s commitment to attend every single home burglary – introduced in July 2021 – is proving a success and so it’s a model adopted by every police chief across the country.
Data shared with Sky News by GMP revealed that, over the last 12 months, arrests related to burglaries have risen by 52%.
It comes as police chiefs across the country vowed that officers will attend “all at-home burglaries” for the first time earlier this month.
Superintendent Chris Foster, the force’s lead for burglary, said: “We need to get that public confidence back so we’re working hard to improve all the basic standards like getting to see someone when they are burgled, having a police officer attending and doing a thorough investigation and then tying up all those links using partners so we’ve got a proper outcome for the victim.”
He added: “We’re doing a good job at getting to people. We’re getting to 94% of all burglaries and nearly 100% of residential burglaries.
“There’s ways and means you can do it and once you do some problem solving around it hopefully those numbers and demands will decrease, but you’ve got to give it that focus.”
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Police watchdog condemns low burglary and theft clear-up rates
But some victims are fed up and have lost confidence in the police.
Martin McLaughlin runs a charity shop in Bolton. He says it’s been burgled eight times in the last 12 months – within little or no action – he’s given up on reporting incidents all together.
He told Sky News: “It sometimes feels like if you put it on a plate for them and say we’ve got this and we’ve got that, even when there’s CCTV and even when there’s been witnesses, they say ‘we can’t pursue anything because there’s not enough evidence’.
“When you ring them up, all you get is a crime number. I don’t need a crime number, I need them to stop the people who are causing damage to the charity shop.”
GMP admitted it needed to do more in order to convince people like Martin.
As forces across the country adopt the model of attending every burglary, they could be faced with huge resourcing issues.
Marc Jones, chair of the association of police and crime commissioners, said: “It is going to be a challenge, particularly in large urban areas, but it is the right thing to do.
“Police forces have to make choices and they make choices every day on what the priority is going to be.
“Police chiefs had made this a priority, they have collectively agreed they will meet this challenge and they will be held accountable for delivering it.”
Burglary is a crime deeply invasive and often terribly traumatic – the anguish of a case unsolved only adds to it.
With pressure mounting on police to improve their response, it’s hoped this landmark agreement will bring about change.
Storm Bram has been named by the Irish weather service – with warnings for strong winds and heavy rain issued for parts of the UK and Ireland.
More than half a month’s rainfall could hit some parts of the UK in just a 24-hour period, the Met Office has warned.
Yellow and orange warnings are in place across Ireland today and tomorrow, with “very strong to gale force” winds forecast on Tuesday.
Check the weather forecast where you are
The Met Office said strong winds forecast from Monday evening through until Wednesday could cause disruption, with gusts of 50-60mph predicted widely and 70-80mph in some places.
A yellow weather warning for rain comes into effect from 6pm on Monday, and will be in place for 24 hours, covering parts of southwest England and Wales, and stretching to parts of Herefordshire and Hampshire.
The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for high winds from Dorset to Cornwall and up to north Wales, in place from 10pm on Monday until 4pm on Tuesday.
It said transport networks could face disruption, with delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges, and coastal roads and seafronts affected by spray and large waves. Power outages are also possible.
For 24 hours from 6pm on Monday, up to 40mm of rain could fall in some areas, with 60-80mm of rain over Dartmoor and high ground in South Wales, which would amount to more than half the average monthly rainfall in December.
The predicted rainfall across southwest England and South Wales is expected to hit already saturated ground and could lead to difficult travel conditions.
An amber warning for wind has been issued for northwest Scotland on Tuesday.
Flying debris “could result in a danger to life” – and there could be damage to buildings and homes along with the risk of roofs being “blown off” due to the “very strong and disruptive winds”, the Met Office warned.
Forecasters added there was the potential for large waves and beach material “being thrown” across sea fronts, roads and properties.
There are also yellow warnings for wind and rain on Tuesday across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and northern and southwest England.
Weather warnings issued for Tuesday. Pic: Met Office
Yellow warnings for wind have been issued for Scotland and parts of northern England on Wednesday.
The Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, Steven Keates, said: “A deepening area of low pressure will approach the UK from the southwest later on Monday, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds, which are likely to affect the UK between late Monday and early Wednesday.
“The exact track, depth and timings of this low are uncertain, which makes it harder to determine where will be most impacted by strong winds and/or heavy rain.
“This system has the potential to cause disruption, and severe weather warnings are likely to be issued over the weekend as details become clearer. We therefore urge people to keep up-to-date with the latest Met Office forecast.”
The Met Office said the rest of the month remained unsettled, with further periods of low pressure predicted.
It also said it is too early to provide an accurate forecast for the Christmas period.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to Downing Street once again, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be keen to make this meeting more than just a photo op.
On Monday the prime minister will welcome not only the Ukrainian president, but also E3 allies France and Germany to discuss the state of the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will join Sir Keir in showing solidarity and support for Ukraine and its leader, but it’s the update on the peace negotiations that will be the main focus of the meet up.
The four leaders are said to be set to not only discuss those talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia, but also to talk about next steps if a deal were to be reached and what that might look like.
Ahead of the discussions, Sir Keir spoke with the Dutch leader Dick Schoof where both leaders agreed Ukraine’s defence still needs international support, and that Ukraine’s security is vital to European security.
But while Russia’s war machine shows no signs of abating, a warm welcome and kind words won’t be enough to satisfy the embattled Ukrainian president at a time when Russian drone and missile attacks continue to bombard Kyiv.
Keir Starmer welcoming Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Downing Street during a previous visit. Pic: AP
What is the latest in negotiations?
Over the weekend, Mr Zelenskyy said he had discussed “next steps” with US President Donald Trump’s advisers and was “determined to keep working in good faith”.
“The American representatives know the basic Ukrainian positions,” Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “The conversation was constructive, although not easy.”
But on Sunday evening, ahead of an event at the Kennedy Center, President Trump said he was “disappointed” with Mr Zelenskyy, as was asked about the next steps in Russia-Ukraine talks following negotiations.
He said: “We’ve been speaking to President Putin and we’ve been speaking to Ukrainian leaders, including Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy.
“And I have to say that I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago.
“His people love it. But he hasn’t – Russia’s fine with it. Russia’s you know, Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country when you think of it. But Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it. His people love it but he hasn’t read it.”
Read more:
Ukraine has become Europe’s war – so why doesn’t it act like it?
Inside a secret underground military base in eastern Ukraine
On Saturday, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s outgoing Ukraine envoy, had told the Reagan National Defence Forum that efforts to resolve the conflict were in “the last 10 metres”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised new US security strategy over the weekend, adding that Russia hopes this would lead to “further constructive cooperation with Washington on the Ukrainian settlement”.
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