Only one in six thieving conmen caught

West Yorkshire Police received 403 distraction burglary reports between April 2010 and March this year, but solved only 67 of them.

Distraction burglaries are crimes in which offenders trick their way into people’s homes to steal money and valuable items. Criminals commonly strike after gaining their victims’ trust by claiming to work for water, gas or electric companies.

Some even pretend to be police officers.

A police report reveals that 756 distraction burglaries were recorded across Yorkshire, of which almost a quarter were solved.

Humberside Police had the best detection rate with 43 per cent, followed by North Yorkshire (39 per cent), South Yorkshire (26 per cent) and West Yorkshire (17 per cent).

Successes highlighted in the report include Operation Rage, an investigation led by North Yorkshire Police into a string of burglaries across the country.

In February three burglars were handed prison sentences totalling 21 years for the crimes. Their victims included elderly people from Scarborough, York and Boston Spa.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “Burglary is a top priority... and our detection rates have increased by seven per cent when compared with the previous year.

“While there is still work to be done, we have almost doubled our detection rates of distraction burglaries and we continue to be committed in tackling this issue.

“We take these offences very seriously and we urge members of the public to continue working with us and be vigilant when approached by officials at their homes.”