Croydon police have set up a special task force to investigate people they believe are lying about being burgled, following a sharp increase in false claims over the summer.

The number of burglaries committed since April rose by 29 per cent compared to the same period last year, and police believe ‘victims’ making up crimes for insurance purposes may be partially behind the boost.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Champion, who set up the crime integrity team, said at least one person had been wrongly arrested and kept in custody over a made-up report of aggravated burglary this summer.

He said: “We have had some very late reports for offences, and some reports where people clearly couldn’t have taken the property alleged.

“We’re not looking to put the integrity team on to anyone who’s been burgled or robbed.

“What we are saying is if people make false reports for whatever reasons, if it causes a massive amount of police investigation, we will look to prosecute them.”

DCI Champion also urged residents to watch out for “brazen burglars” attempting lightning thefts through open doors and windows while homeowners are occupied in other rooms.

He said more than a fifth of reported burglaries over the past 12 weeks showed no signs of a forced entry, and asked people to think about whether their insurance covered them for property stolen while the house was unlocked.

He said: “People in their premises feel secure and don’t imagine people will put a hand through a window and steal something, or pop into a room when they are in another room.”

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