REDBRIDGE had one of the highest number of burglaries in all of London last year, according to new figures.

The stats, released by the Conservative party, show that the borough had the third worst break-in rate in the capital, with an average of 25 per 1,000 homes being hit.

The news comes after the Guardian revealed last week that raids on homes have increased in Redbridge by 18 per cent in the last 12 months.

The borough's new burglary chief, Detective Inspector Phil Davies, has urged the community to harden its attitude towards crooks, but has also raised eyebrows by asking thieves to show "consideration" for their family and friends.

Some residents, such as 23-year-old Danielle Ott from Woodford Green, have said they want to move out of the borough altogether because the problem is so bad.

She said: "These figures don't surprise me at all. In the past two years I've been burgled twice in two different homes.

"I think the police are crap to be honest. They hang around for about a week but then they go, they're no help at all. Instead of pulling people over for things like a broken headlight they should be out there catching these criminals.

"For them to be saying burglars should be considerate is ridiculous. It's like saying they should close the windows behind them when they leave."

Commenting on the stats, shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said: "These figures show that in the worst areas there has been a burglary in almost every street in the past few months.

"This increase in burglaries is a big problem, and it’s not just down to the recession.

"The jump in drug taking announced last week is also a big factor - since a large proportion of burglaries result from people trying to get money to feed a drug addiction."