Police remind people to lock their doors whilst enjoying the sunshine

POLICE are warning residents to remember to secure their homes whilst enjoying the warm weather.

Officers say sneak-in burglaries increase during spring and summer as people are more likely to leave doors, windows and outbuildings open.

North Yorkshire Police are reminding people to lock their doors behind them when out in their gardens and to put away tools in a secure building or shed, to prevent them being stolen or used by burglars to break into properties.

Detective Superintendent Heather Pearson, who heads North Yorkshire Police’s burglary crackdown, Operation Haven, said: “It takes seconds to lock your doors and secure your outbuildings, just as it takes seconds for a thief to sneak into your property and take whatever they can lay their hands on. Always remember to lock up and hide your valuables from view – even if you’re just washing the car or cutting the grass.”

You can register your property on www.immobilise.com so that if it is stolen and recovered by the police it can then be returned to you.

For more detailed crime prevention advice, including a security self assessment, visit the North Yorkshire Police website www.northyorkshire.police.uk/homesecurity