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Ministers and senior police officers are under growing pressure after the number of burglars being caught plunged to record lows.

Mr Barton questioned if some forces were “finding excuses” not to investigate crimes.

He said: “The police chiefs who manage demand by ‘screening out’ crime are actually allowing crime to rise inexorably, making it even harder to investigate the crimes that have been committed.

“Neighbourhood policing has to be the cornerstone of policing.

“We might also ask ourselves if we are still recruiting inquisitive coppers with a strong sense of curiosity, who work in organisations that demand crime is investigated, rather than find excuses not to.”

His damning words came as Home Office figures showed just five per cent of burglaries were solved last year, compared with 9.4 per cent in 2015.

Only 14,000 burglaries from 268,000 offences reported to police between April 2020 and April last year were solved. By comparison police solved close to 32,000 of 342,043 burglaries six years earlier.

Chiefs have told how they were forced to “prioritise” crimes following falling officer numbers and rising demand, but said all offences were taken seriously.

The vast majority of cases were shelved due to a lack of evidence such as CCTV footage or DNA, it was said. But forces e ortedly have come in for severe criticism in recent years for reportedly not sending officers to burglaries.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council has stressed officers “prioritise cases where there is a realistic prospect of prosecution”.

In November, the Daily Express revealed two in three burglary investigations are closed before a suspect is even identified.

Shocking figures also revealed that more than 90 per cent of cases were closed due to a lack of evidence in 27 force areas.

Ministers have called on police to send an officer to every burglary scene after trials showed that it cut crime by up to half and trebled detection rates.

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Diana Fawcett, chief executive at the charity Victim Support, said: “These figures lay bare the unfortunate reality facing victims of burglary – too many cases go unsolved.

“The impact of a burglary goes beyond just the financial losses – although these can be devastating too.

“Home should be the place where we feel most safe.A burglary is an invasion of that space and can deeply unsettle people’s sense of security.

“Burglary must be taken seriously by the police and government so that victims receive the help and understanding they deserve.”

Amanda Blakeman, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for acquisitive crime, said: “Forces will prioritise cases where there is a realistic prospect of prosecution and in some cases police can, and do, use alternative outcomes like cautions or restorative justice.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “The Government is committed to taking tough action to tackling crime, putting more police officers on our streets. The latest statistics showed large reductions across neighbourhood crimes, with burglary down 19 per cent compared with the previous year.”

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