City centre traders have voiced frustration after figures obtained by the Telegraph & Argus revealed that only 32 people have been convicted following investigations into 684 burglaries of retail and commercial premises in the last year.

Business bosses have called for more police presence to deter burglars after seeing the outcome of a Freedom of Information request regarding non-house burglaries in the Bradford south division, which covers the city centre and suburbs, from October, 2011, to September, 2012.

Police made 89 arrests in relation to the crimes recorded during that period, and 32 people were convicted, although police pointed out that some of those criminals could have been found guilty of several of the offences.

The figures have led Zafran Liaqat, whose brother Abdul Rehman’s Fone Bits shop on James Street was cleaned out by burglars last October when they took 150 handsets worth £15,000, to call for more visible deterrents.

Mr Liaqat said that conviction rates did not surprise him.

He said: “Even if there were five to ten convictions, it would not surprise me.

“I mean what sort of an issue is that?

“It is hard enough for small businesses at the moment in Bradford city centre paying extorniate amounts of rent,” he said.

“You feel like you need some sort of security or protection with these things when it happens. We feel dismayed and let down by the police.

“It is difficult to get back on your feet but I helped my brother.

“In my opinion there is no visible deterrent. If they were there these figures wouldn’t be anywhere near what they are.”

Amanda Ryan, manager of the Cash for Gold shop, in James Street, which is owned by television antique dealer Tim Hogarth, said that they had some success with convictions after raids at the shop. Last year, the shop’s shutters were prised open and the window smashed by an intruder who stole jewellery, including a 14-carat gold ring with diamonds, worth several hundred pounds. She said: “There is probably not enough police presence and I think we need more,” she said. She added that to be part of City Centre Beat you had to pay.

Mike Cartwright, policy executive at Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said that businesses had not been telling them of any more concerns than in the past about crime levels.

“Many do, though, like to see a frequent police presence as this is reassuring,” he said.

“They also want to see tough sentencing against offenders. Sometimes we hear of a failure to report crimes when something has happened as they feel that little or nothing will happen but the business owner will still have to spend time away from core business to deal with ramifications.

“Where businesses are concerned about crime in their area, they should ensure that they take advice on how best to secure premises, look at staff safety and other related issues like deterrents such as CCTV.”

Between April, 2012, and February 2013 there had been 68 fewer victims of commercial burglary in the city centre compared to the same period the previous year, the police have said.

Bradford South Detective Chief Inspector Peter Craig said that a small number of offenders could be responsible for a high number of crimes.

“Every arrest and conviction we achieve may, therefore, represent more than one offence which has been committed,” he said.

“What is vital, is that we are targeting the right offenders at the right times.

“Our commitment to Offender Management has enabled us to work closely with our partners, such as the Probation Service and housing providers, reducing the potential for these people to commit further offences.

“We also have ongoing operations throughout Bradford to tackle burglary on both a commercial and residential level. It remains a key priority and we are working hard alongside City Centre Beat and the Bradford Chamber of Commerce to address it.

“Officers regularly provide crime prevention and security advice, ensuring premises are not susceptible to attack.”