POLICE have issued a renewed appeal for the public to "think more about home security" as the number of burglaries in the district continues to rise.

The amount of reported thefts from homes in the region during the past three months is nearly eight per cent higher than the same timespan last year, unlike the average in Essex as a whole where burglaries have fallen by 5.4 per cent.

In March there were 152 burglaries in the district, up from 136 the month before.

Some of the more recent incidents include the theft of electrical equipment and a car from a home in Cunningham Rise, North Weald, last weekend.

Police say thieves gained entry to a flat in the road through a front door which had a faulty lock sometime between 11pm on Saturday May 8 and 4.20am on Sunday May 9.

They also stole car keys left on a dining room table before driving off in the owner's red Volkswagen Polo vehicle.

The same night, between 11pm on Saturday and 9.30am on Sunday, burglars broke into another home in Queens Road, North Weald, by forcing open the front door.

They also took electrical equipment and car keys before driving off in the household's silver Volkswagen Polo vehicle.

Epping Forest crime reduction officer, Tony Ellis, said: “There have been a number of burglaries throughout the Epping Forest district which could have been prevented if the householder had been a little more aware of their security.

“Most of these burglaries have occurred during the night and involved intruders 'popping' open a upvc front door. Their target is your car or van which is sitting on your driveway but they will also take anything else you leave lying around in the hallway.

“They spend only seconds in your home in an effort to locate the ignition keys to your vehicle and they are remarkably successful at finding them.

“There are several simple steps that you can take to prevent yourself falling victim to one of these crimes. Be inventive about hiding away your ignition keys when you go to bed.

“Don't leave them in a coat pocket in the hallway, on a hook in the kitchen, on a cupboard in the hall or on the kitchen or dining room table. These are the most obvious places people would leave keys and burglars know this.

“If you have a upvc door with shoot bolts at the top and bottom, engage the bolts before you go to bed and deadlock them in place with the key. It is very rare for a deadlocked door to be breached.

“Don't leave your house keys where they can be seen through the letterbox in your front door. Burglars have become extremely adept at fishing them out through the letterbox with a cane or rod.

“These simple precautions take seconds to implement but could mean the difference between whether you wake up with your car on the driveway or missing.”

For any further advice you can contact Tony Ellis on 01279 621888.

Residents who see anyone acting suspiciously or have any information in relation to the above crimes are urged to contact police on 0300 333 4444 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.