Police in England and Wales fail to catch any car thieves in 100 neighbourhoods

An investigation has revealed soaring numbers of unsolved vehicle crimes, with some inquiries into car thefts closed within 24 hours

Police failed to catch any criminals who stole a car in more than 100 neighbourhoods across England and Wales last year, analysis by the Observer has revealed.

A further 558 neighbourhoods with an average of at least one vehicle crime a week saw less than 2% solved, with a suspect caught and charged, according to figures published on data.police.uk, a site for open data on crime and policing.