Map reveals rape 'postcode lottery'

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Women's equality group the Fawcett Society, which compiled the map, claimed it "reveals huge deficiencies in police responses to rape" in many parts of the UK.

In some areas, women who report they have been raped are almost five times less likely to see their attacker convicted than in others, the group said.

The charity added that the conviction rate had got worse in 18 out of 43 police areas since it last looked at the figures in detail in 2004. For example, in Bedfordshire the conviction rate four years ago was 8.3% but had dropped to just 3.2%.

The map showed that fewer than one in 30 women who reported a rape in Leicestershire saw a conviction, while in Cleveland the figure was far higher, at about one in seven.

Fawcett Society director Katherine Rake said: "These disturbing figures reveal that women face a postcode lottery when reporting rape to the police.

"It is entirely unacceptable that the standard of service rape victims receive is dependent on where they live. Even more worryingly, in many areas of the country the conviction rate has fallen dramatically since 2004."

Ms Rake added: "We are calling on the Home Secretary to end the postcode lottery faced by victims of sexual violence by ensuring that every case of rape is properly investigated.

"The Government needs to drive cultural change within the criminal justice system, to ensure that rape is given a high priority by every police force in the country and to invest in a national network of rape crisis centres."

The table was compiled from data on court proceedings from the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office's recorded crime figures and population numbers from the Office for National Statistics.