Halton had the least burglaries (From Warrington Guardian)

Halton had the least burglaries

HALTON had the smallest amount of burglaries of any police division in Cheshire last year, new figures show.

It also had the best figures for solving them.

The numbers show the continued success of the dedicated Runcorn and Widnes burglary squads since they were reformed two years ago.

Det Sgt Dave Walsh of the Widnes burglary squad says he is surprised but 'very pleased' by the news.

He said: "It's a consequence of putting resources in to tackle priority policing problems and burglary is certainly a high priority for the government and the whole of the country, as well as Cheshire.

"Statistics are not the be all and end all but you have to take notice of them.

Halton had 594 burglaries in the last financial year, compared to a target of just less than 700.

Of these, 32 per cent were solved, just beating Chester police with 31 per cent.

More crimes solved also means less burglars are free and on the streets, despite a couple of disappointing results in the courts.

Sgt Birch said: "I think the figures are the result of having more experienced officers together with new and keen officers. There's a good mix there."

The units use the national intelligence model to track where and how crimes are happening, to make sure they use their resources effectively.