The street in St Helens with the most reported burglaries in 2021-22 has been revealed.
The ECHO submitted a Freedom of Information request to Merseyside Police, to find out which streets in the borough of St Helens saw the highest amount of reported burglaries for every year since 2017. Figures show that for 2021-22, Junction Lane in Sutton had the most reported burglaries, with ten.
There is a trend among the data however, with a drop in the number of reported burglaries year on year. The figures are almost halved from 19 in 2017-18 - with the most burgled street that year being Prescot Road.
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Prescot Road also topped the list in 2018-19 with 19 reported burglaries, and sits joint top for 2020-21, along with Mill Lane and Warrington Road- with a much lower total of 11 burglaries reported to police.
The owners of The Oddjob Company, situated on burglary hotspot Junction Lane, know first hand the effects thieves can have. They told the ECHO: "We were burgled in the summer, someone came in and they stole tools, paint, just anything they can get their hands on.
"I think a lot of it is just people chancing their arm, seeing what they can get."
A resident living on the road, who asked not to be named, said: "I didn't know it was the most burgled street, it doesn't surprise me though because it can be rough around here. They just come in the night and they're good at it- they're silent."
Isabella Holland has worked at Watson and Co barbers on Junction Lane for three months, and the 23-year-old said she is "not surprised" by the figures. She said: "We've never been burgled here but I'm not surprised to hear that, I know other shops have been broken into and had windows smashed."
Owner of Watson and Co, Helen, has been at the shop for six years, she added: "We don't worry about break-ins too much because we've got electric shutters at the front and at the back."
She also added that despite these grim figures, she "loves" the area and is happy with their shop on Junction Lane, and has a steady stream of regular customers from the area. Helen said: "We've never had any trouble here and everyone who we serve is lovely."
Commenting on the burglary figures, Merseyside Police Detective Inspector Steve Byrom said: “We have a dedicated burglary team called Operation Castle, who focus on hotspot areas and particular types of burglary.
“Since Operation Castle was launched in 2018, the team has successfully reduced the number of burglaries by 55% in the region and secured convictions for burglary offenders with sentences amounting to more than 600 years in prison. As a result, the number of reports of burglary crimes reported to Merseyside Police has decreased, and has done since Operation Castle was established four years ago.
“It is also important to note that the detection rate for burglaries was 6% in 2020 to 2021, and since the beginning of this year the detection rate is at 5%. The fact that there is less burglary crime means that we are targeting the correct offenders and getting them the jail time they deserve. Burglaries can have a massive impact on the person and families affected as they have had their home invaded which is an awful experience to go through, and can often have a long-lasting impact on victims.
“Every sentence handed down makes the communities of Merseyside and beyond safer from the harm, distress and inconvenience that burglary brings. We encourage people to come forward if you know anything about a burglary or someone acting suspicious in your area, either directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers. We act on all information provided.
“We have a dedicated portal where people send CCTV, smart doorbell or dashcam footage of suspicious activity in your area but don’t know if it is linked to a specific offence. It can be uploaded here: https://unitedkingdom1cpp-portal.digital-policing.co.uk/merseyside/appeal/castle
“Your footage will be reviewed for potential links to reported offences in your area, and may help us gather evidence to solve burglaries and bring offenders to justice.”
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