Unsolved crime rate blamed on G8

Police work during G8 diverted resources away from local crime

A drop in the number of crimes solved in the Lothians has been blamed on the demands of policing the G8 summit.

New figures showed 35% of crimes were cleared up between April and September this year compared to just over 40% last year.

Police chiefs claimed the demands of policing demonstrations in Edinburgh in July were part of the problem.

About 2,500 fewer crimes were solved while officers were preparing for the heads of government meeting.

The meeting of the world's eight most powerful nations took place in Gleneagles in Perthshire from 6 to 8 July.

There were 129 arrests made by police around Edinburgh during a week of protests linked to the summit.

'Price to pay'

Lothian and Border Police deputy chief constable Malcolm Dickson said despite a drop in clear-up rates for crimes such as vandalism, the force had maintained its performance in solving sex offences and violent crime.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he said: "The largest event that Scotland has faced, and the lion share of it in Edinburgh, required a great deal of policing.

"It would have been miraculous if we had been able to do that without some effect on our other functions and responsibilities.

"However, we did carry on normal policing, we did keep our citizens across Lothian and Borders safe and we did solve the serious crimes."

He added that failing to solve crimes such as vandalism, which accounts for a quarter of all crime, was probably "the price to pay" for promoting peaceful protests.