Sponsored by
Whitby householders warned as sneak-in raiders strike
FAMILIES across the Whitby area are being warned by police to be vigilant after burglars sneaked into three homes in the area and stole belongings on the same day.
Two families were targeted in Ruswarp while another was hit in High Hawsker on Wednesday. In all cases, the houses were not secured.
Whitby Rural Safer Neighbourhood Team Sergeant Martin McLachlan said: "While the risk of becoming a victim of a dwelling house burglary remains very low within the Whitby area, there have nevertheless been three within a short period of time which may or may not be linked and North Yorkshire Police would ask people to be vigilant.
"They have all involved sneaking into the premises while the homeowners were present.
"Householders in general tend to be good at securing and locking their homes when leaving them unoccupied, but tend to assume that if they are present on the premises, that in itself makes it secure."
In Ruswarp, thieves entered a house through the back door while the occupant was asleep between 12.15am and 8am and stole a red crocodile effect handbag.
It contained keys including a car key, a purse containing 30 in cash, bank cards, a Motorola mobile phone, gloves, cosmetics and personal documents.
They also targeted another property in the village by walking in through the back door into the kitchen and stealing 20 cash from a shelf and a car key from the window ledge.
The car key was later found discarded in the village.
And the third offence happened at High Hawsker between 9am and 10am when a thief walked into a home in Ruswarp while the owner was in the garden and stole a black Acer Aspire laptop computer from the dining room table.
Sgt McLachlan said now people are spending more time outside and in their gardens, if they have an area of their home or garden where they do not have a view of access into their property through a door they should secure it with a chain, bolt or key to deny any opportunity for sneak-in entry.
He added: "It is also advisable not to leave car keys and cash clearly visible in areas close to external doors such as in kitchens and not to have key hooks where such keys are hung up and clearly visible."
Anyone who can help with the investigation into the thefts is asked to call Whitby Police on (0845) 6060247.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Whitby
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -4 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: South
