SHOCKING figures reveal the scale of crimes in care homes and nursing homes across West Yorkshire.

Data obtained by Legal Expert from sending Freedom of Information (FOI) Act requests to police forces across the country showed the number of offences recorded in these settings in West Yorkshire is the highest it has been for five years.

There were 2,090 crimes recorded last year (2023/24) throughout the county’s care homes and nursing homes.

The figures have soared by almost 70 per cent from 2019/20, when 1,243 crimes were recorded in these types of settings.

Offences dipped around the time of the Covid-19 lockdowns, to 894 in 2020/21, but have increased year-on-year since then.

There were 1,029 crimes logged by the force in 2021/22, followed by 1,319 in 2022/23.

It means there was a total of 4,485 crimes recorded in care homes and nursing homes across West Yorkshire since 2019.

By far the most common offence was “violence against a person”, accounting for 60 per cent of all recorded crimes, with 2,705 instances of this.

Arson and criminal damage were the second most prevalent, with 483 on record since 2019.

A total of 448 theft crimes were recorded in West Yorkshire care homes and nursing homes, as well as 275 public order offences.

The force also logged 248 sexual offences.

But just 10 per cent of the crimes recorded within these settings over the past five years ended up in arrests – 439 in total.

Since 2019, a total of 242 arrests have been made for "violence against the person" (just nine per cent of the crimes recorded).

The arrest rate for arson and criminal damage offences is much higher, at 20 per cent (97 arrests).

But there have been only eight arrests made in relation to the 448 theft crimes recorded, which equates to just under two per cent.

A further 29 arrests were made for burglary crimes and 23 for public order offences (eight per cent of crimes recorded).

Sexual offences led to another 23 arrests (nine per cent of crimes recorded).

Arrests were also made for possession of weapons (five), drug offences (four), vehicle offences (two) and robbery (one).

The Telegraph & Argus approached a number of bodies for comment.

The CQC said if a crime occurred it would report this to police and the local authority safeguarding team.

West Yorkshire Police did not respond when contacted for comment.