BURGLARIES are going unsolved across south Essex, with the vast majority of cases being closed before a suspect is identified.

Figures released via an Echo Freedom of Information request show Basildon is targeted by burglars more than anywhere else in the county.

A total of 1,202 incidents were reported between January and July – accounting for almost half of all burglaries across south Essex.

The figures mean an average of six break-ins take place across the borough every day, with just 4.5 per cent of them resulting in an offender being brought to justice.

Richard and Dorothy Stanley, 53 and 50, of Wells Gardens, Basildon, were the victims of an attempted gunpoint robbery in their home.

Mr Stanley, who managed to wrestle the hooligan out of the house after the weapon was held to his wife’s head, found the stats "unsurprising."

He said: “I don’t come from an educated background, but if you take police off the streets and close police stations how are you going to solve crime?

“I’m not surprised the figure is so low, in fact I’m surprised more people don’t get away with burglaries considering how underfunded our police force is.

“More money is needed.”

Similar trends have also emerged across Southend, Castle Point and Rochford.

So far, just 4 per cent of burglaries in Southend this year have been solved.

The figures are even worse in Rochford and Castle Point, with just 3 per cent of burglars caught.

Barbara Withers, 81, of Cedar Road, Canvey was the victim of a knifepoint robbery in her home.

The crook took a three figure sum and jewellery, before forcing her to urinate in front of him.

She said: “I’m not surprised because there have been quite a lot of burglaries and robberies in Canvey that I’ve heard about lately.

“I had £580 and jewellery taken, and the man wouldn’t let me go to the toilet without him watching me. "

She appealed for more officers.

She added: “We should see more police. I don’t think there would be so much trouble here.”

Steve Hickey, 42, who owns Hickeys DIY, in London Road, Rochford, has been burgled twice – and he feels more resources are needed.

Mr Hickey’s Rochford home and shop were both burgled within two years of each other.

He said: “The problem here is resources.

“If the police were able to get someone on the floor straight away after a suspected burglary had been reported then it would act as a deterrent.

“We need someone to come here right away – not someone to give us a reference number over the phone.

“I don’t blame the police.

“With resources stripped back the police need to priorities, and burglaries seem to be at the very bottom of the ladder.”

Supt Kevin Baldwin insisted police remain committed to solving burglaries despite major cutbacks to the force.

He said: “Burglaries are distressing for victims which is why tackling these offences is a top priority. We remain committed to driving down burglaries and have put a number of initiatives in place.”

“We are currently running Operation Malta which has seen a number of arrests in connection with burglaries over recent weeks, following the deployment of specialist officers to support our local teams.

“A youth was recently sentenced to a year in prison for burglary and another is due to be sentenced soon. We will continue to target these people and bring them to justice.”

Close analysis of police data shows a large proportion of burglaries are opportunist, with criminals taking advantage of open doors and windows.

Mr Baldwin urged residents across the county to ensure their houses are secure.

Anyone with information about burglaries have been asked to contact police.

Mr Baldwin continued: “We continue to work closely with other agencies, partners and support schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch who assist with providing visibility in hotspot areas to act as deterrents to opportunist burglars.”

Even though Basildon is suffering with the most amount of burglaries this year, the borough’s detection rate is far from the lowest in south Essex.

Castle Point and Rochford, where 354 and 242 burglaries have taken place, respectively, both had a detection rate of just 3 per cent up until July this year.

In Southend, 663 burglaries took place in the first half of this year – with a solve rate of 4 per cent.

A similar picture has emerged across the whole county.

Of the 7,425 burglaries assigned to officers throughout Essex, the total number of resolutions currently stands at 301.

This means burglars are getting away with 96 per cent of break-ins.

A spokesman for Essex Police admitted the crime is tough to tackle.

Explaining the techniques the force uses to catch offenders, the spokesman said: “Solving burglary offences can be challenging and complex.

“We use a range of techniques in our investigative approach including conducting forensic examinations where there are opportunities to do so, analysing trends to identify hotspots and dedicating patrol time at key periods.”

Essex Police has closed stations and reduced PCSOs to save £63million by 2020.