Meeting of residents over spate of burglaries

Ian Pilling

A RESIDENTS' meeting with police takes place tonight after a spate of burglaries in South Chadderton.

Anyone who would like to have their say should meet at the Colliers Arms, Old Lane, at 6.30pm.

The get-together comes after news that nationally, many investigations into burglaries and thefts are reportedly being closed without a suspect ever being identified.

Police probes were ended in two-thirds of such cases in England and Wales when no suspect was identified, the BBC said.

Cases closed included around three-quarters of bicycle thefts, more than 60 per cent of robberies, and around two-thirds of criminal damage and arson, the broadcaster said after analysing 18 million crimes from the police data website between 2012 and 2016.

Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling said: "We have to prioritise our workload to focus on the most serious crime which is represents the greatest risk to the public."