WEST Mercia Police are making no apologies after shocking crime statistics revealed zero detection rates in Hagley.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show during 2010 there were 30 vehicle crimes and 29 burglaries in the village but none of the offences were recorded as detected.

Villager Peter Rowbottom fears crooks are going unpunished and believes the force is now ignoring him after a senior officer refused to say sorry for mistakes during their investigation into his concerns.

Mr Rowbottom, aged 45, from Kidderminster Road South, said: “They are not dealing with things they say are priorities, I am just trying to get to the truth.

“They say crime statistics are available online but not everyone has access to the internet and police will not give out detection rates - they should be available to the public.”

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) probe in November found a complaint by Mr Rowbottom had not been adequately answered by West Mercia Police.

The IPCC also found Bromsgrove District Inspector Julian Smith submitted an inaccurate report to the force’s professional standards investigation about the number of crimes Mr Rowbottom reported.

The IPCC report said: “Inspector Smith is aware of the error in his original report.

“He does not wish to offer an apology to Mr Rowbottom but accepts further research into recorded and reported offences should have been conducted.”

The damning Hagley crime dossier shows certain detection rates are getting worse. In 2009 six burglaries were detected from 25 reported and one vehicle crime was detected from 31.

There is slightly better news on criminal damage.

In 2009 none of the 41 reported cases were solved, in 2010 there were 28 cases with six detected while anti-social behaviour reports fell from 258 to 217 over the same period.

Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership, which includes West Mercia Police, lists tackling burglary and car crime as priorities but unemployed Mr Rowbottom says Hagley cops are not doing enough.

He said: “A lot of my views are shared by the rest of the residents, I am concerned police won’t take my complaints seriously. They have decided I am a professional complainer.”

A spokesperson from West Mercia Police denied the force hides detection rates and pointed out results from Freedom of Information requests are published on the force’s website.