Warning follows six West Suffolk burglaries in a day
Police are urging people to be vigilant after six burglaries in West Suffolk in a day.
Most of the burglaries last Thursday were in rural areas and five were in daylight.
Two in Rede, near Bury St Edmunds. In the first, the resident returned home at about 2.40pm and disturbed the offender, who then fled in a dark-coloured hatchback car, possibly a Ford Focus. It is believed entry was via an insecure window and the suspect had piled-up jewellery and silver, but left it behind.
The other Rede burglary involved a window being forced open, but police are waiting to find if anything was stolen.
Between 1pm and 2.30pm someone entered a home through an insecure back door in Kings Close, Mildenhall, and took jewellery and cash.
In Bury Road, Barrow, a window slightly ajar but locked was forced and a laptop stolen.
The fifth was in Birds End, Hargrave, where a window was forced open and a safe and computer stolen.
Finally, at about 9.35pm the intruder alarm was activated at a house in The Green, West Row, where a door was forced open to gain entry.
Police arrived about ten minutes later and found a silver Land Rover Discovery had been stolen, registration CV58 KNG. The suspects are described as three white men travelling in a dark blue Audi.
Detectives are appealing for anyone who saw any suspicious persons or vehicles in the vicinity of these burglaries to contact them. Especially anyone who may have seen the cars.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact West CID at Bury St Edmunds Police Station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police are continuing to urge the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity in their communities. If you see suspect people or vehicles at a neighbour’s house, note down a description of them or the vehicle registration. If you believe a burglary to be in progress always dial 999.
Residents are asked to consider taking the following steps to protect their homes from burglaries:
LOCK
+ Lock all doors and remove the keys before leaving the house.
+ Keep front doors locked even when you are at home and especially if you are in the back garden.
+ Close all windows fully before you leave the house, lock downstairs windows and remove the keys.
+ Use window limiters to allow air in instead of keeping windows fully open, even when you’re at home.
+ Install window locks on upstairs windows that can be easily accessed by a flat roof.
+ Lock back gates using a sturdy lock such as a closed shackle padlock to no less than CEN 3-4 security grade or 5 lever lock.
LIGHT
+ Make your home look lived in – use timer switches if you’re not home.
+ ‘Dusk-to-dawn’ sensored security lighting is a cheap, low cost way of making sure the front of your home or shed/outbuilding is well-lit.
+ Visible burglar alarms can make burglars think twice; get specialist advice and consult your insurance company.
+ Hedging and shrubs to the front of your property should be pruned to no higher than 1m and trim trees up from the ground to 2m. This will allow a clear line of sight across your property and will stop the garden being used as a hiding place.
HIDE
+ Keep your valuables, jewellery, cash, passport and deeds to your property in a safe.
+ Never leave spare keys in an open place. Be aware, burglars know all the usual hiding places so never leave a spare key under the doormat or under a garden gnome.
+ Keep dustbins and wheelie-bins away from fencing/gates as these can be used by thieves to climb into windows or used to escape. + Make sure valuables are property marked. Take photographs and keep a note of any serial numbers.
+ Don’t leave equipment and tools lying around that can be used by burglars to break into your home, such as hammers, shovels or gardening tools. Keep ladders locked away and out of sight.
For more security advice visit: ttps://www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/crime-prevention-z
