Residents urged to be vigilant after series of break-ins (From Messenger Newspapers)

Police urge Altrincham residents to be vigilant against burglars

9:00am Thursday 7th June 2012 in News

POLICE are urging Altrincham residents to secure their sheds after a spate of break-ins in the area.

With 14 shed and garage break-ins across the area since May 1, Altrincham Neighbourhood Policing Team have increased their patrols in areas and times they feel are most vulnerable to incidents.

According to police, the main items targeted in the break-ins are bikes, tools, lawn mowers and other stored items. In most cases, offenders broke in after finding insecure doors or by cutting locks.

As well as increasing patrols, NPT are also conducting bail checks and home visits to offenders as well as providing shed alarms free of charge to properties thought to be at risk.

In a bid to cut down on the crime, officers are advising shed and garage owners to use a lock which flips over and does not give access to screws. Residents are also urged to ensure their property is fully secured and that all tools are locked away as burglars have been known to use tools left in gardens to break into homes.

Large items such as bicycles should be chained together and ladders locked to a secure fixture, again to ensure they are not used to break into houses.

Valuable tools and equipment should be marked, photographed and registered online so that they can be traced back to the owner if they are stolen and later recovered. Other advice from police includes using gravel on driveways and paths to help alert you to anyone outside, and also planting prickly shrubs and plants near windows, drainpipes and fences.

Inspector Clark Bowers of the Altrincham NPT said: “While we are keeping a close eye on known offenders, it is important that people who might be at risk of shed burglary help us to minimise that risk.

“They can do this by following our simple advice, being vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity in their area.

“This is about making sure people with sheds are aware that the valuable property they keep inside them is desirable to thieves.

“Power tools, lawnmowers and gardening equipment can be easily sold on by unscrupulous individuals.

“By working together, we can ensure fewer people suffer the distress and inconvenience of becoming a victim of burglary.”

You can report a crime by calling the police on 101 or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. To contact Altrincham NPT directly, call 0161 856 7530 or email Altrincham.area@gmp.police.uk To register your valuables visit immobilise.com