DOORS are being tried in the middle of the night by an opportunistic burglar in West Swindon.

The man in his 20s has been captured on CCTV trying the doors of cars and houses.

Police in the area began inspecting video footage after a number of similar reports came through from an area in Grange Park, as residents had awoken to find their doors wide open and items missing.

CCTV in Boleyn Close has shown a white man in his early 20s wearing a grey hooded top, wandering around the area between 3am and 4am trying door handles and occasionally getting lucky.

Police are warning all residents to be particularly vigilant with their property and not to leave leave their doors and windows unlocked in the warmer weather.

PC Stephen Yeates, the beat manager for Toothill and Freshbrook, said: “We have got a character going round West Swindon trying it on. Do not give him an easy chance.

“This weekend we went to four victims reporting very similar incidents at around the same time. “People had woken in the morning and discovered car doors had been found wide open or had garages opened and items taken.

“We have CCTV cameras around the location and managed to establish footage of some of the incidents.

“We found a white male, of slim build, around 5ft 10ins tall in his early 20s, wearing a grey hooded top, checking door handles in the area.”

Neighbourhood police are targeting theft in the area as a priority and would encourage people to make their property as secure as possible.

“We are still having problems with theft, so we would ask everyone to remember not to leave anything on display and to double check all doors on houses, cars and garages are secured and checked,” said PC Yeates.

The Grange Park burglar is thought to be relatively inexperienced, and has a haphazard approach to his searches when he does manage to gain access.

“In some of these instances we have seen some expensive valuables which have been left in the property which an experienced burglar would have taken,” said PC Yeates.

“It seems this is someone on the road to starting out on a career in crime.”

If anyone has any information on the person police would like to speak to in connection with these incidents, or have seen anything suspicious in their area, they are asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.