A BURGLARY is committed in Bolton every three hours, new figures reveal.

Data for 2014 have revealed that burglaries of residential properties went up by 25 per cent across Bolton, to 1,334 from 1,069 in 2013.

A total of 2,675 burglaries of all buildings were recorded, which is 5.5 per cent more than the 2,536 in 2013.

Police said they are working hard to combat the rise and have made progress in reducing types of burglary other than those in people's homes.

The Bolton News understands police believe the figures are not coming down because courts grant offenders bail after they have been charged — enabling them to commit further burglaries.

But Stephen Paine, bench chairman at Bolton Magistrates' Court, said: "I would not say that we are releasing more people than normal as we abide by the guidelines. There is not a great deal magistrates can do. We cannot keep people in custody unless there is evidence that they might offend again.

"We start with the premise that everyone is entitled to bail and the prosecution have to argue otherwise. Things do seem to be going up but I think it is down to problems with finance restraints with the number of police and prosecutors.

"We are not quite getting the same quality of information coming through in time for the court hearings."

In Bolton Central, which takes in the town centre, Halliwell, Rumworth and Great Lever, burglaries of dwellings jumped up by 50 per cent last year, from 191 to 286.

The number of break-ins of any sort in Bolton South, which covers Westhoughton, Farnworth and Little Lever, rose by just under 11 per cent, to 872 from 795.

Bolton North saw total burglaries drop slightly, from 1187 to 1098, but saw a 17 per cent increase in residential break-ins, up from 515 to 601.

Det Insp Charlotte Cadden said: "We have worked hard this year to combat the rise in burglaries by focusing on three main tactic including offender management, targeted hotspot patrolling and intelligence gathering.

"We give a premium service to offenders when they are in custody and make full use of the 24-hour window, so that all available lines of enquiry are followed.

"Homeowners are key to the fight against burglary and we would encourage greater take up of Homewatch schemes, improved security during the darker months and reporting of any suspicious people or cars, so we can investigate further.

"We have seen some good reductions in other types of burglary but our focus remains on arresting people who seem to think that it is acceptable to break into people's homes and steal their property.

"This results in causing real anxiety for victims, especially children."

Jim Battle, Deputy Police Commissioner, said it was a huge issue.

He said: “The rise in burglary is an issue that the Commissioner looked at in-depth at his most recent themed forum last month.

“Ultimately the police have to ensure that they are doing all they can to investigate and prevent what is an intrusive and distressing crime that can have a long-term impact on victims. It has to be a priority for GMP and Tony and I are determined to make sure it is and remains so.

“The police cannot act alone. It is also the responsibility of the entire criminal justice system – courts, probation, CPS and other agencies – to pull together and clampdown on these criminals to bring them to justice, prevent them re-offending and protect victims.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: "The overwhelming majority of people bailed do not re-offend and they are often given strict condition such as tags and curfews.

"Decisions on whether a defendant is granted bail are a matter for the independent judges, who make their decisions on the facts of each individual case.

“We have changed the law to allow prosecutors to challenge a Crown Court bail decision where they feel a potentially dangerous prisoner could be bailed."

To report a burglary call police on 101.