BOLTON MP Tom Sackville has called on parents to crack down on their children in a bid to reduce crime.

The call by the junior Home Office minister follows the release of figures showing Greater Manchester Police have the worst record for clearing up investigations into burglaries.

Mr Sackville says parents should take a large portion of blame for the high level of crime in Greater Manchester because many have dodged their responsibilities.

Last night the BEN revealed Greater Manchester Police has the worst record in the country for detecting burglaries, clearing up just seven per cent.

But Mr Sackville defended the Force which he said was attempting to cope with serious crime problems.

He said: "What sticks out a mile is that the level of crime in Greater Manchester is one of the highest in the country which would explain to some extent the pressure there is on the police and the disappointing clear up rate.

"It would be wrong to heap all the blame on the police when an alarming proportion of parents have shown they simply don't care and fail to exercise control over their children. "A vast number of crimes committed are by young people between the ages of 11 and their early teens. Their parents don't care and social services wont lock them up.

"The police are placed in the position of trying to pick up the pieces and we have promised an extra 5,000 officers. But what is the point in recruiting one extra officer when a hundred parents have given up?"

As well as extra police officers, Mr Sackville said around 500 places will also be made available in secure training centres for youngsters between the ages of 12 and 14 in a bid to tackle youth crime.

But Labour's candidate for Bolton South East, Cllr Brian Iddon blamed the Government for a break-down in the social fabric of the country, which has led to a rise in crime.

He said: "Tom Sackville and the Government has let Bolton down. Councillors lobbied the Government about the young people we wanted to lock up in Bolton and we were told we would have to pay for it out of the Social Services budget. We cannot lock these people up if the money is not available. "The Government is responsible for a no-hope situation of pupils leaving school with no job facing them and many training schemes which are disasters. Our whole social fabric is breaking down."

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