2m crime cases are closed before suspects identified

VICTIMS of crime are being failed by Britain's "broken" justice system, experts warned last night

- Michael Knowles

More than two million criminal probes were closed without a suspect being identified in the year to March, Home Office figures show.

The number of cases shelved because the victim has given up on justice and refuses to support a prosecution has soared from 8.7% in 2015 to 26.7% - more than one in four.

Katie Kempen, of the charity Victim Support, said: "These figures make it clear that victims of crime are not getting the justice they deserve from police failing to identify a suspect to victims dropping their support for investigations, often down to poor experience with the police or a lack of updates about their case.