By . Claire Ellicott . PUBLISHED: . 17:21 EST, 31 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:57 EST, 1 April 2013 . Police are sending bouquets of flowers to victims of burglaries and muggings – crimes they often have difficulty solving. They claim the gift helps ‘soften the blow’, but it can also be accompanied by a note explaining that officers are closing the case for lack of evidence. The policy has divided opinion among victims – some saying they feel ‘fobbed off’ and others praising the ‘lovely thought’. The Metropolitan and West Mercia police forces are among those who regularly send bunches to victims of burglaries. But rates of detection can be as low as 12 per cent in these areas. The Metropolitan Police and West Mercia Police both send bouquets to victims of burglaries and muggings . Met police officers have given out around 300 bouquets since the initiative began in November. Most have gone to elderly women living alone. Sarah Miller, 55, received a bunch of flowers from Met officers in Barnet following a burglary at her home. She had two laptops, a camera and other valuables stolen two weeks ago and police sent a crime scenes officer to dust for fingerprints the following day. Later that day, they sent a card saying: ‘Sorry you have been a victim of crime, unfortunately in this case there is insufficient evidence to proceed and investigation into your crime will now be closed.’ The following day, a £25 bouquet of flowers arrived by courier along with a voucher for £5 off future purchases from the florist who donated it. Mrs Miller said: ‘It was nice to receive them, but the thought that went into that could have gone into solving the burglary, like putting pictures of the things that were stolen in the local paper in an effort to recover them. ‘I’d rather they’d had sent a community support officer to comfort me after it happened rather than being fobbed off with flowers.’ Some burglary victims said the flowers were a 'lovely thought', while others said would have preferred officers to do more to get back their stolen goods . Last year, there were 3,405 residential burglaries, 12.2 per cent of which were solved by police, or 6,795. The latest Home Office figures show that the national average number of burglaries in England and Wales that are solved is 13 per cent. A spokesman for the Met in Barnet said victims usually took the gifts as a positive gesture. 'Giving someone flowers helps soften the blow and shows we are there to support them,' he said. Police in West Mercia, who have a 24 per cent success rate in solving burglaries, have also been sending bunches of flowers to victims for four years. One couple from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, were given flowers by an officer after they were burgled. Jim and Dorly Whiting, who are both in their 70s, were tricked into letting a man into their house who then stole a wallet with £90 cash inside. Mrs Whiting said: 'The thoughtfulness of the police in helping us in this way is very much appreciated. We really didn't expect them [the flowers] and it was a lovely thought.' The flowers are paid for out of a police community fund which survives on proceeds from the sale of unclaimed property, contributions from staff and donations from the public. A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: 'It brings the force and people much closer together, which is how policing used to be.'
The Metropolitan Police and West Mercia Police both send flowers to victims .
One victim felt 'fobbed off' by gesture but others said it is 'lovely thought'
Met police officers given out 300 bouquets since the initiative began .
By . Claire Ellicott . PUBLISHED: . 17:21 EST, 31 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:57 EST, 1 April 2013 . Police are sending bouquets of flowers to victims of burglaries and muggings – crimes they often have difficulty solving. They claim the gift helps ‘soften the blow’, but it can also be accompanied by a note explaining that officers are closing the case for lack of evidence. The policy has divided opinion among victims – some saying they feel ‘fobbed off’ and others praising the ‘lovely thought’. The Metropolitan and West Mercia police forces are among those who regularly send bunches to victims of burglaries. But rates of detection can be as low as 12 per cent in these areas. The Metropolitan Police and West Mercia Police both send bouquets to victims of burglaries and muggings . Met police officers have given out around 300 bouquets since the initiative began in November. Most have gone to elderly women living alone. Sarah Miller, 55, received a bunch of flowers from Met officers in Barnet following a burglary at her home. She had two laptops, a camera and other valuables stolen two weeks ago and police sent a crime scenes officer to dust for fingerprints the following day. Later that day, they sent a card saying: ‘Sorry you have been a victim of crime, unfortunately in this case there is insufficient evidence to proceed and investigation into your crime will now be closed.’ The following day, a £25 bouquet of flowers arrived by courier along with a voucher for £5 off future purchases from the florist who donated it. Mrs Miller said: ‘It was nice to receive them, but the thought that went into that could have gone into solving the burglary, like putting pictures of the things that were stolen in the local paper in an effort to recover them. ‘I’d rather they’d had sent a community support officer to comfort me after it happened rather than being fobbed off with flowers.’ Some burglary victims said the flowers were a 'lovely thought', while others said would have preferred officers to do more to get back their stolen goods . Last year, there were 3,405 residential burglaries, 12.2 per cent of which were solved by police, or 6,795. The latest Home Office figures show that the national average number of burglaries in England and Wales that are solved is 13 per cent. A spokesman for the Met in Barnet said victims usually took the gifts as a positive gesture. 'Giving someone flowers helps soften the blow and shows we are there to support them,' he said. Police in West Mercia, who have a 24 per cent success rate in solving burglaries, have also been sending bunches of flowers to victims for four years. One couple from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, were given flowers by an officer after they were burgled. Jim and Dorly Whiting, who are both in their 70s, were tricked into letting a man into their house who then stole a wallet with £90 cash inside. Mrs Whiting said: 'The thoughtfulness of the police in helping us in this way is very much appreciated. We really didn't expect them [the flowers] and it was a lovely thought.' The flowers are paid for out of a police community fund which survives on proceeds from the sale of unclaimed property, contributions from staff and donations from the public. A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: 'It brings the force and people much closer together, which is how policing used to be.'
saying they feel ‘fobbed off’ and others praising the ‘lovely thought’. The Metropolitan and West West Mercia Police both send bouquets to victims of burglaries and muggings . Met police officers have given out around 300 bouquets since the