WEST Yorkshire Police’s major crime unit has lost almost half its officers since 2010, new figures suggest.

Data released after a Freedom of Information request by the Labour Party shows that the number of police working in the unit has fallen from 151 full-time officers in 2010 to 80 in 2019, a decrease of 47%.

Major crime units across England and Wales overall have lost more than a quarter of their officers, with an overall decrease of 28%.

The total number of officers in the squads across 18 forces had dropped from 2,058 to 1,486.

The units handle serious and complex investigations including into murder and kidnap.

Referring to the national data, shadow policing minister Louise Haigh said: “These are chilling figures.

Murder, rape and serious sexual assault rates are rising and yet the police have been appallingly deprived of the resources to investigate them.”

According to the latest crime figures released in April, there were 732 homicides recorded by police in England and Wales in 2018 – the highest in any calendar year since 2007 when the total was 765.

The latest data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which is regarded as a more accurate measure than police recorded offences, showed a 0.7% increase in sexual assaults on adults up to March 2018.

Home Office data analysed by staff in the House of Commons Library showed that the proportion of serious crimes resulting in a charge had dropped.

For homicide, 74% of cases led to a charge in 2015/16, but this dropped to 67% in 2017/18. For possession of weapons offences this went from 57% to 43%.

Number of officers in major crime units, 2010 and 2019:

These figures show the total full-time officers in major crime units in 2010 (except where stated), and total full-time officers in 2019:

West Yorkshire - 151, 80

Lancashire - 52, 30

Bedfordshire - 27, 22.53

Hertfordshire- 54.36, 41.17

Cambridgeshire - 38, 28.68

Durham - 18, 12

Hampshire - 62, 30

Norfolk - 27, 20

Suffolk - 26 (2012), 21

South Wales - 56, 50

Cheshire - 76, 62

Thames Valley - 79, 50

Essex - 104, 80

North Wales - 15, 15

Staffordshire - 71,24

Metropolitan Police - 1,155, 893

Dyfed Powys - 6, 5

Surrey - 41 (2011), 22

Source: Figures sent by 18 forces in response to a Freedom of Information request by the Labour Party