Hertfordshire police's burglary response times have increased by almost 40 per cent since 2020/21, according to a recent freedom of information request (FOI).

Response times have grown from an average of six hours, 47 minutes and 51 seconds to nine hours, 28 minutes and 35 seconds in the past three years.

The time taken for burglary call-outs increased by 20 per cent between 2021/22 and 2022/23, the most recent result available.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary said: “We recognise the impact that burglary has on victims and we are committed to tackling it.

"All reports of dwelling burglary are attended by our officers and we have recently aligned our burglary procedures with the updated guidance from the College of Policing.

“High visibility and plain-clothed patrols are conducted in hotspot areas to both deter and find criminals.

"In addition to targeting those involved in burglary, we ensure that victims of crime are provided with burglary prevention and home security packs to help prevent them becoming repeat victims.

"As part of our preventative work, we conduct regular campaigns to provide residents with crime prevention advice and warnings about crime trends.”

Crimes can be reported to Hertfordshire police online at www.herts.police.uk/ro/report or by calling the police's non-emergency number 101.

Anonymous information can be given by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.