A MID Devon community group is urging residents to ensure their properties, including sheds and outbuildings, are securely locked following a large spate of break-ins across the region.

Mid Devon Community Safety Partnership says property owners with sheds and outbuildings need to take extra precaution following a string of burglaries across the whole Mid Devon area.

Around fifty burglaries have been reported in the Mid and North Devon areas in the last couple of months.

Julia Ryder, Community Safety Officer said: “The police have seen a big rise in this type of burglary over the last couple of months.

“It is thought that the culprits are travelling to down the M5, from possibly Bristol, and further north.

“They seem to use the main arterial road routes to access properties.

“They have been taking a wide range of items including power tools and bicycles so it is really important that residents take a few minutes to properly secure their property and security mark and register their possessions.”

The issue was discussed at a recent meeting of the Exe Local Action Group, where agencies met in order to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the Tiverton area.

They heard that in Mid Devon burglaries have occurred from the rural side of Crediton across to Tiverton, Bolham, Sampford Peverell, and Uffculme.

Sheds and outbuildings have been broken into and power tools and unmarked property stolen.

Kris Calderhead, Police Crime Prevention Officer said: “To help combat this recent rise in burglaries the Community Safety Partnership have supplied the local policing teams with alarmed padlocks that are available to purchase at the cost of £7, and free permanent and UV marker pens to postcode property.

“I also recommend that items stored in outbuildings are registered using the free service at www.immobilise.com which enables police to identify the owner of valuables if they are stolen.”

Anyone witnessing suspicious behaviour, or a crime in progress, should report this immediately to the police via 999 when individuals are still on site, providing vehicle registration numbers, descriptions of individuals, and direction of travel.

To keep informed members of the public and business communities can also sign up to the police Community Messaging Service via the police website which provides telephone or email updates regarding local crime trends.