Following hot on the heels of news that a convicted burglar had £80,000+ confiscated after Bembridge and Yarmouth burglaries, news of some recent walk-in burglaries in Bembridge. Ed
Police are warning residents in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight to check their security at home after two reports of walk-in burglaries in the village.
Cash, debit cards, a cheque book, keys and electrical goods are among the items reported stolen from addresses in Love Lane on Thursday night / Friday morning (January 13/14) and Swains Road on Sunday night / Monday morning (January 16/17).
Officers are pursuing several lines of enquiry and increasing patrols in the village.
Get in touch
Anyone with information about people acting suspiciously in Bembridge are asked to contact Isle of Wight CID at Newport Police Station by phoning 101 or emailing [email protected]
From outside Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, call the police on 0845 045 45 45. Mini-Com users can call the police on 01962 875000. Information can be given anonymously by calling the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
Detective Sergeant John Walton from Isle of Wight CID said: “The number of burglaries across the whole Sandown Bay area has fallen by more than 25 per cent since April last year, compared to the same nine months last year.
“We want to make sure this reduction is not reversed because of opportunist burglars walking in to some people’s homes.”
Advice for Island residents
Isle of Wight Crime Prevention Officer Michala Bailey would like to take this opportunity to remind residents of the following crime prevention advice.
â— Make sure you secure all your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even if you are ‘just popping out’.
â— Always keep your doors locked even when you are in the house and especially when in the garden.
â— Keep valuable items out of view – if you have electrical equipment worth hundreds of pounds, don’t keep it by the window where passers-by can see it.
â— Never leave a key under a doormat, or on a string through the letterbox – it’s the first place any burglar will look.
â— Hide financial documents and keys – if someone does break in, you don’t want them to also steal from your bank account, or take your car.
â— Make sure tools and ladders are kept in a secure place – burglars will happily use your own garden equipment to break into your home.
â— Use timer switches to switch on lights, radios and other appliances when you’re out or away.
â— If you’ve taken extra security precautions, let would-be burglars know. If you have an alarm, make sure the box can be clearly seen.
â— If you take part in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, display a sticker in your window. If you’re interested in joining Neighbourhood Watch, please contact your local police station by phoning 101 or go online to http://www.iowneighbourhoodwatch.co.uk/#
â— If you have a dog, put up a warning sign.
â— SmartWater: a non-hazardous liquid, which can be used to mark property, or as a spray to shower intruders when they enter premises protected by the system. Each batch has a unique ‘DNA-type’ forensic code, tying its use to a specific location or item of property. Once a suspect has been sprayed, the SmartWater will fluoresce brightly as offenders walk under ultraviolet lights when they’re brought into custody at police stations.
For more information, go to Safer Wight
