RESIDENTS are being warned to keep kids toys and other valuable property out of sight following a spate of thefts from front gardens.

With the return of the warm weather, Essex Neighbourhood Watch Administrator, Colin Freeman said, there have been reports of thieves stealing plants and toys from outside front gardens in the Epping Forest District.

Operating in pairs, he said they reportedly pull up outside houses in Transit-style vehicles and lift large pot plants, ornaments and children's toys into the back.

He is advising residents not to display items where they can be seen from the road.

Mr Freeman added: "As I travel around Epping Forest I often notice bicycles, children's scooters and ride-on toys left insecure and strewn around front gardens or lying against fences, walls and hedges, often on the public side of garden boundaries.

"As both a parent and grandparent, I know how expensive some of these items are to buy, which is why I recommend that we all remember to take appropriate steps to ensure that these items don't become easy pickings for thieves."