Police give advice after spate of burglaries

There have been eight incidents of attempted break-in or burglary in Crawley since Friday (October 18).

Jewellery worth £50,000 was stolen from a house in Kingscote Hill, Gossops Green, that evening.

Two laptops and £800 worth of cash were stolen from a house in Kirdford Close, Ifield, on Monday morning (October 21).

Sussex Police has published the following advice on how to keep homes safe as the nights draw in:

Install an automatic time switch on a radio and an indoor light to make it look and sound like people are in when the house is empty.

Lock all external doors and windows before going out or going to bed.

Fit security lighting that will come on from dusk to dawn.

Trim back any overgrown plants that a burglar could hide in.

Keep car keys well out of sight.

Think about getting an intruder alarm.

Inspector Zahid Khan, of Crawley Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This is an important aspect of our crime prevention that we let our communities know about seasonal crime.

“As the evenings draw in I would like our neighbourhoods to be safe.

“We have increased visibility and would like to ask residents to take simple steps to prevent then becoming victims of crime.”

For further advice find contact details for your local PCSO on the Sussex Police website at: www.sussex.police.uk.

If you see anything suspicious call the police immediately on 999.