Dyfed-Powys Police are “letting down” victims of domestic abuse and “risking public safety”, a damning report has warned, after shock figures revealed that nearly 15 per cent of violent crimes reported in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire go unrecorded.

HMICFRS, the policing inspectorate, said that the force is “too often failing to record reported crimes”, with their figures showing only 87.6 per cent of all reported crime is recorded.

They said an estimated 4,400 crimes are not recorded each year, with the force’s performance even worse for violent crime, of which only 85.4 per cent of offences are recorded – some involving domestic abuse or vulnerable victims.

HMICFRS found a similar picture of unreported crimes in Dyfed-Powys in 2018, and a follow-up inspection at the start of this year found the force “had failed to make the expected improvements, with crime-recording levels broadly unchanged”.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said: “Anyone who reports a crime should feel safe in the knowledge that their local police force will record it.

“I am concerned that Dyfed-Powys Police has consistently failed to record so many crimes and is risking public safety. I am particularly worried that victims of domestic abuse are being let down by Dyfed-Powys Police.

“Failing to record these crimes often results in vulnerable victims not being safeguarded properly and no investigation taking place.

“We told Dyfed-Powys Police to make improvements in crime recording two and a half years ago, yet it has still not made any progress, so we will therefore be closely monitoring the force’s performance to make sure that public safety comes first.”

HMICFRS, which issued Dyfed-Powys Police with a ‘cause for concern’ notice, has recommended that the force should “immediately improve its systems and processes for recording reported crimes, paying particular attention to domestic abuse”; and “ensure adequate supervision of the crime-recording decisions made by police officers and staff”.

The inspectorate also recommended that the force should provide better training for all police officers and staff working on crime recording within the next three months.

Dyfed-Powys Police T/Chief Constable, Claire Parmenter said the force “accepts the concerns and recommendations” in the report.

“As an organisation, we are firmly committed to supporting victims and putting them at the heart of everything we do,” she said.

“The force has plans in place to improve its crime recording and I am determined we will get this right.

“Since the previous HMICFRS inspection in 2018 we have made significant improvements in our response to domestic abuse victims, creating the vulnerability desk which provides real time intelligence to officers attending incidents and ensuring that safeguarding arrangements are in place through a new partnership hub.

“We have a programme of change already in place which will deliver significant process and cultural change.”