Sources say victims are increasingly ‘giving up’ after they alert police

Police have blamed victims’ failure to support prosecutions for a growing number of unsolved crimes, amid fears of a criminal justice system in crisis.

The number of unsolved crimes attributed by police forces to victims’ unwillingness to co-operate with their investigations has jumped by 224,000 over the past year. The figures, from the Home Office, include 127,000 violent offences.

Amid a surge in overall crime, sources said victims are increasingly “giving up” after they alert police, because budget cuts mean officers struggle to attend crime scenes, take witness statements and collect evidence.

The news echoes warnings earlier this year from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, a police watchdog, that officers were allowing perpetrators of domestic violence to escape justice by “pushing responsibility” for prosecutions onto the