MORE than three-quarters of household burglaries in South Wales are closed without police identifying a suspect, data reveals.

The Police Federation says urgent funding is needed to reverse a situation which is “soul-destroying” for officers, as well as concerning for residents.

Home Office figures show that just seven percent of residential burglaries reported to South Wales Police last year resulted in someone being charged or summoned to court, down from nine percent in the previous year.

Raids of garages and outbuildings are included in the figures, as well as home burglaries.

John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “What the service so desperately needs is a long-term funding deal to enable all forces to return to a position where they are properly resourced to meet the demands they face.”

A recent report following an inspection of all 43 police forces by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found that the likelihood of police bringing someone to justice following a criminal investigation of any kind is decreasing.

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: “South Wales Police takes every report of crime seriously and consider all the available evidence and potential further lines of enquiry. Victims are regularly kept updated on progress of investigations.

“We are dedicated to making our communities even safer by preventing and reducing crime and building on our success in solving crime and seeking justice for victims.

“Compared to similar forces in the UK, South Wales Police is the best performing force on recorded crime and there is a 20 per cent lower chance of being a victim of crime in South Wales than elsewhere.

“There was a 16 per cent year-on-year reduction in burglaries in the Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan area, where people are far less likely to become a victim of burglary than elsewhere in South Wales.”