Police issue warning following spate of burglaries

Police are advising residents to leave lights on when you are going out and leave your homes secure following a number of recent burglaries in the Wilmslow and Alderley Edge area.

Whilst our streets are going to be lit up for Christmas over the coming weeks, our homes may not. Now that the clocks have gone back an hour, many of us are leaving and arriving home from work in the dark which means that our homes are often left in darkness, luring opportunistic thieves to see what goodies we have inside.

So far this month police have reported nine burglaries in Wilmslow and two in Alderley Edge - seven of which have been carried out in Wilmslow in the past week. These have occurred on Kingsbury Drive, Styal Road, Pownall Road, Alton Road, Prestbury Road, Clough Avenue, Blackden Walk, Sandhurst Drive and most recently on Alveston Drive on Monday, 9th November.

There was also an attempted burglary on Wingfield Avenue, Wilmslow and burglaries on Moss Lane and Heyes Lane in Alderley Edge - many of which have taken place late evening or overnight.

Sgt Angela Coppock said "Police are appealing for witnesses to a number of burglaries that have occurred around the Wilmslow area. Primarily the offenders have been targeting the Dean Row area of Wilmslow during the afternoon/ early evening time. Entry is being gained via forcing the rear patio doors, an untidy search made and property stolen."

This week Cheshire Police are launching their Blue Christmas campaign reminding people to stay safe over the festive period.

Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire John Dwyer said, "The majority of people will enjoy the Christmas period with their family and friends sensibly. Unfortunately there are a small number of people who use the festive season as an opportunity to commit crimes and behave inappropriately. I'd urge everyone to remember simple crime prevention advice to keep your homes safe and secure."

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts said, "We recognise that Christmas is a time to have fun, and we're here to support our communities to ensure that everyone is able to have a safe and enjoyable time throughout the holiday period.

"I want to send out a clear message to anyone planning to go out in Cheshire and commit crime or act in an unacceptable way that your behaviour will not be tolerated. We're here for you working over Christmas to stop the festivities turning blue."

Crimestoppers advises residents to:

• Have your lights on timer switches, ensuring lights come on as the dark nights draw in.

• Keep keys away from letter boxes to stop burglars 'fishing' for them and letting themselves into the property.

• Make sure doors and windows are shut and locked, even when you're at home.

• Don't leave valuables on display. Remember 'out of sight, out of mind'.

Residents are also urged to consider registering your property on www.immobilise.com so that if it is stolen and recovered by the Police it can then be returned to you, and also download free tracking software onto mobile phones, laptops and tablets.

If anyone has any information about criminal activities taking place, please contact the Wilmslow Beat Managers at Wilmslow Police Station, quoting incident CC15334868, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111.

Tags:
Burglaries
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