South Yorkshire Police are reminding residents in Rotherham that as the weather improves and they spend more time in the garden or out of the house, not to leave their doors and windows unlocked and risk becoming a ‘sneak-in’ burglary victim.

A sneak-in burglary is not planned and is carried out by criminals always on the lookout for an easy opportunity to slip in an out of people’s homes – taking with them valuables and personal possessions.

It often seems that within easy reach of these unlocked doors and windows are bags, purses, money, laptops, mobile phones and keys. It only takes seconds for these thieves to get away with these items and by the time you get back to your door, you may even find your car on the drive missing – stolen with keys left out on show.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Robinson said: “I would like to remind people that they must ensure back and front doors are always locked and that windows are not left open as about a third of home burglaries in Rotherham are down to insecure break-ins.

“It can be a very scary situation to find a stranger inside your home, or even find someone has been in and out while you were working in your garden or while you slept during the night.

“We will do everything we can to catch and prosecute criminals who take advantage of homeowners in this way, but we need the public to help fight against this type of crime by going now to make sure their doors and windows are secure and that they have not left their car unlocked or their keys and valuables on show.”

Officers suggest the following tips in order to reduce the risk of becoming a sneak-in burglary victim:

• Keep the thieves out – don’t give them an easy opportunity, keep doors and windows locked.
• Keep valuables out of sight – don’t leave car keys on show near doors and windows and put items such as laptops, mobile phones and purses away from prying eyes.
• Don’t leave keys in the locks or within grabbing distance through letter-boxes or open windows.
• Fit door chimes or alarms to exterior doors.
• Fit restrictors on windows – preventing them from opening fully.
• Keep vehicles locked at all times, even when on your driveway or in your garage.
• Keep garage doors locked at all times.