Two thirds of the 10,000 crimes committed in one year in North Somerset are unsolved, and only 13 of them are still being investigated

Police records show there were 9,722 crimes committed in the district in 2013 and of these 6,489 are currently classed as unsolved or undetected.

Only 13 of the unsolved crimes are still actively being investigated, five of which are offences related to theft and handling stolen goods.

It is a similar picture in the whole of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary force area, where 96,308 crimes were committed in 2013.

Of these crimes, 61,821 are unsolved and just 206 are still under investigation.

The most common offences which are unsolved are those related to theft and handling stolen goods, of which there are 27,990.

Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: “There are many reasons why some crimes go unsolved, including the nature of the crime itself.

“Some crimes may have a lack of investigative opportunity with no evidence or further lines of enquiry and the willingness and vulnerability of victims and witnesses can also present challenges.”

An undetected crime is defined as one where no-one has been charged or formally sanctioned for the offence.

This could mean a number of crimes are recorded as undetected, but have been dealt with by way of community resolution or restorative justice – rather than going through the courts.

Cases which are closed due to lack of evidence can also be re-opened, should new evidence come to light.

Ms Mountstevens added: “While the statistics are similar across many police forces in the UK, the focus in Avon and Somerset remains on making sure victims of crime are taken seriously, are believed when they choose to report and get the help they need when they need it.

“Being a victim of crime is a horrible experience and importantly I would not want anyone to be deterred in reporting crime in the future.”

Ms Mountstevens is holding a public forum to answer questions from North Somerset residents who are worried about crime in their area.

The meeting will be held at Gordano School in St Mary’s Road, Portishead, at 7pm on June 3.

Crimes in North Somerset still under investigation:

Burglary: 1

Fraud and forgery: 1

Other offences: 5

Theft and handling stolen goods: 5

Violence against the person: 1

Total: 13

Unsolved or undetected crime across Avon and Somerset:

Arson: 516

Burglary: 8,995

Criminal damage: 11,772

Drug offences: 168

Fraud and forgery: 153

Other offences: 207

Robbery: 573

Sexual offences: 867

Theft and handling stolen goods: 27,990

Violence against the person: 10,580

Total: 61,821