Shocking new figures have revealed that eight in 10 housebreakings go unsolved in West Dunbartonshire.

The latest recorded crime statistics from the Scottish Government show that in 2022-23 there were 146 housebreakings recorded in the local authority.

In the same year, 79.5 per cent of housebreakings in West Dunbartonshire were not cleared up.

A crime or offence is regarded as “cleared up” where there exists a sufficiency of evidence under Scots law to justify consideration of criminal proceedings – meaning the majority of housebreakings in both West Dunbartonshire have gone unsolved.

It comes after a Freedom of Information request found that there are 40 fewer officers in the Argyll and West Dunbartonshire police division than there were seven years ago.

Earlier this year we previously reported that there was a sharp rise in the number of sex crimes, serious assaults and frauds reported in the local division.

It was just weeks after Scotland's outgoing Chief Constable Iain Livingstone warned that it was not possible for the levels of staffing to continue due to budget.

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Deputy leader of Scottish Labour, Dame Jackie Baillie, has warned that the local division was at breaking point and more funding was needed.

She said: “It is concerning that, eight in every 10 housebreakings in West Dunbartonshire and seven in every 10 in Argyll and Bute go unsolved.

“These figures reveal the pressure police in communities across the Dumbarton constituency are under, with years of SNP mismanagement pushing services to breaking point.

“The SNP-Green government must rule out any further damaging cuts to policing in West Dunbartonshire so that the police have the resources they need to tackle crime and keep our area safe.”

Lynn Ratcliff, chief superintendent for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire said: “As reported crime returns to levels closer to that which was experienced prior to the pandemic, it is clearly a challenge to maintain detection rates while at the same time responding to growing and increasingly complex individual and community needs, especially considering the resourcing challenges resulting from the tightening financial environment.

“Our policing response is based on an assessment of threat, risk and harm to ensure the most vulnerable get the help they need and deserve and Police Scotland has driven high levels of operational competence for all our communities.

“We understand the impact that housebreaking has on victims. Housebreaking in Scotland remains significantly lower than the five-year average and compared to pre-pandemic levels. Housebreaking is not just people’s homes, it can also be garages, sheds and commercial properties.”