NEARLY two thirds of domestic burglaries in Reading resulted in no suspect being identified last year, according to latest figures.

Of the 489 cases under investigation by Thames Valley Police (TVP), 63 per cent were classed as 'no suspect found - investigation complete pending further investigation.'

Reports of this type of crime have fallen from 1,690 cases in 2006, to 489 a decade later, with the detective chief inspector attributing the drop to a rise in cybercrime.

James Upton, deputy LPA commander for Reading, said: “We sit in line with the force average for burglary outcomes.

"We have seen a significant decline in the number of domestic burglaries over the last decade.

“Crime trends have changed in that period, with emerging crime types, such as cybercrime, exploitation and vulnerability becoming an important focus for us.

“The demand for policing service continues to rise in Reading, with 80 per cent of our calls for non-criminal matters. This does not mean burglary has gone away and it still remains a key policing priority for us."

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, confirmed 12,934 incidents over the last decade, with a significant decline in the number of burglaries year-on-year.

There have been more than 560 domestic burglaries in the town over the last 12 months, with TVP experiencing a record low of 435 cases in 2015.

“There has been some excellent work to reduce the number of burglaries in that time," he added.

"A reduction in burglary is welcome, but we continue to work with strong partnerships to identify the issues that lead to this criminal activity.

"We monitor the situation very closely, we ensure policing activity is focussed on a daily basis and we review our investigations to ensure we achieve every opportunity to identify those who are committing it and bring them to justice.”