Liberal Democrats slam government as 73% of burglary cases go unsolved in Oldham Borough

Liberal Democrats slam government as 73% of burglary cases go unsolved in Oldham Borough

New data uncovered by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that a staggering 73% of burglary cases across Oldham went unsolved in 2023, up 7% on 2022.  The party have called for a new ‘police response guarantee’ to ensure all domestic burglaries are attended by a police officer and properly investigated.

Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “People have lost faith in both the Conservatives and Labour over crime and policing.  Empty promises come and go with each passing Prime Minister, but the lack of frontline policing stays the same.” 

“The Liberal Democrats would deliver a Burglary Response Guarantee, to ensure that police attend and properly investigate every incident of domestic burglary.  This is hardly radical; it’s what people expect and deserve.  People are sick of seeing the community plagued by crime.  We need to kick out this failed government and start getting a grip on basic policing.”

The guarantee will appear in the Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the general election.  The party is also calling for a new online crime agency to better protect people against fraud and scams. 

Councillor Sykes said, “Unfortunately, online fraudsters and scammers are becoming increasingly common.  People need protection from this sort of crime, and they deserve support if they are a victim.  But this can be provided by specialist officers and staff, meaning that frontline officers can be kept free to tackle crime on the streets, like the worrying rise in unsolved burglaries we are currently seeing.”

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) released a report in 2022 that said that most victims of burglary were “not getting the justice they deserve.” 



More from Oldham Liberal Democrats on policing and crime
Greater Manchester Police taking nearly 16 hours to attend burglary calls – Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)

The data was uncovered in an FOI request to all police forces in England and Wales. 

33 of 43 police forces across England and Wales provided full responses with data provided for 329 local areas.
Their responses, which can be accessed here, provided the following data:
How many burglary cases were recorded, broken down by Local Policing Area, in the following calendar years: 2023, 2022 and 2021.
How many of those cases were closed without a suspect being identified, also broken down by Local Policing Area, in the following calendar years: 2023, 2022 and 2021. 
The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new statutory guarantee that all domestic burglaries must be attended by the police and properly investigated. 

To implement this guarantee, we are calling on the Government to: 

Return to proper community policing, where officers have the time and resources, they need to focus on preventing and solving crime;

Urgently draw up a strategy to tackle the shortage of detectives;

Set up a new national Online Crime Agency, to better protect people from online crime while freeing up local forces’ time to tackle burglars. 

Shaw Health Centre – update

Shaw Health Centre – update.

Everything on site is progressing well and handover of the new medical centre is planned for mid July.

The only outstanding issue remains the revised entrance location on Westway (it is proposed to revert back to the original one) and the Stopping Up Order off Ashworth Court (for adopted highway), work to resolve and progress both matters is in hand.

Liberal Democrats announce plans for free school meals for 9,000 more primary school children in Oldham Borough

Liberal Democrats announce plans for free school meals for 9,000 more primary school children in Oldham Borough.

The Liberal Democrats have announced their new plan to extend free school meals to all primary school children, beginning with all children from low-income households across both primary and secondary schools.

This would mean an extra 9,250 primary school children in Oldham receiving free school meals.

While welcoming the announcement, Leader of Oldham Liberal Democrats councillor Howard Sykes MBE said the Conservatives had “failed families in Oldham by underfunding free school meals.”

Councillor Sykes said, “School meals should be free for all children.  It is as simple as that.  This is about creating a level playing field at school so that every child has a fair opportunity to thrive.  No child should be going hungry in Britain in 2024.”

“We will start by targeting the children most in need.  In Oldham, that means an additional 9,250 children receiving a nutritional meal at lunchtime, for free.”

The Liberal Democrats will pay for their new proposals by introducing a new tax on share buybacks of FTSE 100 listed corporations, similar to a move made by US President, Joe Biden.


Share buybacks occur when companies use their profits to inflate their own share price, a practice that critics have warned can damage the economy.  The industries who use share buybacks the most are the oil and gas giants, banks, and large corporations who own food and consumer goods brands. 

Councillor Sykes said, “Free school meals help children succeed at school and beyond.”

“When you give children a healthy start in life, every pound you spend saves money

on healthcare and benefits in the long run.  This is the right move for families in Oldham who have been failed by the Conservatives in government during the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.”  

Source for Primary School Children Data: Department for Education Statistics, 2022-23
Source for Children in Poverty Data: Child Poverty Action Group, July 2023

More from Oldham Liberal Democrats on free school meals: Liberal Democrats call for free school meals for all primary school children – Howard Sykes (mycouncillor.org.uk)