CAREER criminals made up more than a third of serious offenders convicted in West Mercia last year, figures reveal – suggesting many are caught up in a cycle of reoffending.

The statistics also show less than half of those convicted with at least 15 previous convictions or cautions were sent to prison.

The Labour party said the "shocking" national figures showed the Government was "soft on crime and its causes", putting the public at risk.

In West Mercia last year, in 1,037 of the 2,785 cases where an adult admitted or was found guilty of an indictable offence, such as theft, violence or rape, the offender had at least 15 previous convictions or cautions, Ministry of Justice data shows.

That included 38 where the offender had 75 or more previous convictions or cautions.

The figures also showed that of the cases where offenders had at least 15 previous convictions or cautions, 423 (41%) resulted in an immediate prison sentence.

The Labour party said the "shocking" figures were partly a result of the Government's decision to part-privatise the probation service seven years ago, a move reversed in June this year with renationalisation of the service.

Holly Lynch, Labour's shadow minister for crime reduction and courts, said: "The Government is soft on crime and its causes.

"By failing to reduce crime through rehabilitation in our prisons and our communities, the Tories are putting the public at risk."

She added that Labour would "put victims first by enshrining their rights in law" and focus on criminal rehabilitation to stop the cycle of reoffending.

Charity Unlocked, which helps people dealing with the stigma of a criminal record, said people also needed support with physical and mental health and wellbeing, as well as housing and employment.

Chief executive Angela Cairns added: "Having to disclose a criminal record is a barrier to access those things – local authorities are permitted to exclude people with unspent convictions from social housing and more than half of employers admit they would discriminate against someone with a criminal record."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Reducing reoffending is one of our top priorities.

"That’s why we’re investing millions through the Beating Crime Plan to provide robust monitoring, while tackling the drivers of offending such as substance misuse, homelessness and unemployment.”