A PROPERTY was broken into once every 10 hours and a bike stolen every five hours in Oxford last year but most victims saw their case go unsolved.

There were more than 800 recorded burglaries in the city between April 2014 and March 2015, according to Thames Valley Police statistics.

But 85 per cent failed to bring about an arrest, charge or caution, collectively referred to as an ‘outcome’.

The figures cover properties such as sheds and garages as well as houses.

Bike thefts – occurring on average once every four hours and 48 minutes – saw an even higher unsuccessful outcome rate, with 98 per cent left unsolved.

Ray Timms, from Old Marston, had £6,000 worth of equipment for his tree surgery business taken from his garage in May.

R. Timms Tree and Shrub Care has been going for 61 years and is now run by Mr Timms, his son and two grandsons.

The 79-year-old, who lives with his wife Doreen, said thieves broke into his garage and took a variety of hedge-trimmers, cutting equipment and power tools.

He said: “It has shaken me up that someone has broken into my property.

“It’s cut me up quite a bit.”

Nearly two months have passed and he said there was no sign of his equipment returning and he has lost confidence in the police.

He said: “It’s very frustrating. I have got no faith in the police whatsoever.” He claimed one officer came to his house and took fingerprints but that he has not heard anything since.

The number of burglaries, bike thefts and vehicle crimes has gradually declined over the past three years but so has Thames Valley Police’s success rate for outcomes.

For burglaries, the number is down by 15 per cent from 1,007 to 847 but success rate is also down from 18.3 per cent to 14.3 per cent.

According to a separate set of data extrapolated from OX1, OX2, OX3 and OX4 postcodes, the number of cases closed without a suspect being identified is above the national average for vehicle crime, personal theft and bike theft.

Detective Chief Inspector for Oxford Local Police Area Andy Bird said: “Thames Valley Police is committed to reducing and detecting crime for residents and visitors alike and we have a clear focus on crimes and incidents that cause the most harm.

“We work in partnership with other agencies to reduce crime and protect the public.”

Thames Valley Police crime data showed 847 bikes were stolen in Oxford over the 12-month period.

Just 31 of these resulted in a suspect being arrested, charged or cautioned.

The number of bike thefts has reduced from 2,195 in 2012-13 to 1,810 in 2014-15, but the police’s success rate has fallen to just 1.7 per cent from 2.6 per cent.

Daniel Smith, 28, had his mountain bike stolen when he was living in East Oxford last year. The security worker was about to embark on a charity bike ride raising money for a Ghanaian orphanage with his partner when thieves struck.

Hoping to raise £3,000, the pair had to spend £1,000 on replacements before they could set off on the fundraising trail.

Mr Smith, who now lives in Staffordshire, said more could be done in Oxford to prevent bike theft.

He said: “We didn’t hear anything from the police after we got a crime reference number, though we didn’t expect much.

“I understand the police are busy and have so much to do to investigate every single case but for example in other areas they do free bike microchipping.

“The police should be doing that in the centre of Oxford and publicising it a bit more.”

Chairman of cycling campaign group Cyclox, Simon Hunt said: “First and foremost it’s down to the owner to make sure they lock their bike securely all the time – there’s no getting away from that.

“It’s hard to tell from the crime figures how much of it is organised bike crime – folk coming in with vans and selling them on for metal – and how much of it is individual crime.

“If it’s the former then the police really do need to get on top of it.”

DCI Bird said: “We mark cycles with postcodes and maintain a cycle security system that allows officers to check whether cycles are stolen.”