ONE garage a day is being burgled on average in York, according to new crime figures.

A rundown of the city’s burglary statistics, compiled by the Safer York Partnership, show that in the last seven months there have been 195 break-ins at garages across the city – equating to 30 a month.

Analysis of garage burglaries in York has shown that 30 per cent of the buildings which have been targeted by thieves were left unlocked.

The most popular was for criminals to get in was to bend back the main door, which happened in 30 per cent of reported cases.

In another 15 per cent of crimes burglars broke or took out a window in the garage, while in 15 per cent of break-ins the back door of the garage was forced.

Other burglars used an external door, removed bricks or got in through the roof.

The Safer York report, which will go before City of York Council’s community safety overview and scrutiny committee next week, said the number of burglaries of sheds and outbuildings had also risen in October last year.

Between the start of April and the end of October last year, the latest figures available, there were 796 burglaries in York, with 275 houses, 184 sheds or outbuildings and 119 business or commercial premises broken into, while there were also 12 break-ins at schools.

The report by Safer York senior analyst Ian Cunningham, crime reduction manager Tanya Lyon and neighbourhood safety manager Paul Morrison said garage burglaries accounted for 28 per cent of the burglary total across York.

April 2012 was the worst month, with 36 garages targeted, followed by July (29), although levels have remained relatively steady over the seven-month period.

The organisation said it had worked with suppliers to develop an affordable medium-security device.

The report said: “This also makes it cost effective and we are keen to encourage take-up, given the rise in garage break-ins over the past 12 months.”

The Safer York update also said levels of “acquisitive crime”, which covers theft and robbery, was “low and under target” in 2012/13 at business premises and industrial estates, schools and colleges, city-centre cycle racks, allotments, hotels and at York St John University.

While levels were still low at council car parks, the University of York and York Hospital sites had seen “more crime than expected in September and October”.