Just one in 10 burglaries and robberies committed in north Essex over the past three years have been solved, the East Anglian Daily Times can today reveal.

There were 9,213 break-ins and robberies reported in the Colchester borough and Tendring district between 2010 and August 31 this year, but in only 926 cases were the perpetrators convicted.

The figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, show where were 4,377 burglaries and robberies were reported in Colchester with just 424 solved.

While in Tendring, a total of 4,836 break-ins were committed and only 502 were solved by officers.

Chief Superintendent Carl O’Malley said Essex Police has recently launched its autumn anti-burglary campaign with a range of operations being undertaken to tackle break-ins.

It will also include targeting known criminals, directing patrols in burglary hotspots and visits to the homes of victims to reduce their chances of being targeted again.

He added: “Burglars are always looking for the easy option and empty homes which appear poorly secured and with few crime prevention measures in place will always be their main targets.

“We are aiming to take the fight to these criminals by making the lives of prolific offenders difficult, denying them the use of the roads and quickly identifying any new suspects on our patch.

“At the same time we will have more officers out and about in the areas we know burglars are operating to help people secure their homes and property more effectively.”

According to the figures, a total of 55,097 robberies and burglaries were committed across the whole of Essex in the same period.

The crimes include house, business premises, garage and other building burglaries

Burglaries in Colchester peaked at 1,184 last year compared to 1,029 in 2011. In Tendring, last year saw 1,327 recorded in comparison to 983 in 2010.

Ch Supt O’Malley added: “The devastating impact of burglary on victims whose homes have been violated cannot be underestimated; we recognise that and are determined to do all we can to stop this.

“But we do need the people of Essex to help us; to take sensible precautions to protect their homes and give us the information and intelligence we need to put the criminals before the courts.”