Travelling gangs are thought to be behind burglaries

Detectives say there has been a spate of incidents over the past two months and they suspect criminals are travelling into the county from other areas to affluent parts of the Harrogate district to carry out their crimes.

Officers are warning householders to be more aware and to take precautions. They are also appealing for the public’s help in tracing those responsible, warning that any information, however trivial it may seem, may be key to preventing a crime.

The properties targeted have been in well-heeled areas and in the main, the suspects have stolen jewellery, electronic items and in some cases, military medals and antiques.

Det Insp Pete Martin, of Harrogate CID, said yesterday: “We are urging anyone, particularly people who live in rural villages or on the edge of towns, to be vigilant and report any person or vehicle.

“It’s highly likely that the offenders have visited the areas in advance to check out people’s movements before committing the offences.”

Police are carrying out extensive inquiries to bring the offenders to justice and have recently made a number of arrests related to these incidents. The spokeswoman said those arrested had been bailed pending further inquiries.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police added: “Officers suspect that a significant number of these offences have been committed by organised criminals, travelling into North Yorkshire from other surrounding force areas.”

Officers say a number of the incidents have been committed when the householder has been out at work or when they have left their property unoccupied for a long time.

Concerns about the burglaries have prompted police to launch a public awareness campaign to try to make more people aware of the problem.

Det Insp Martin urged members of the public to be on their guard and contact the Force if they see any suspicious vehicles, people or activity in their neighbourhoods.

He said: “It is also very helpful to the police if you note down the registration number of any suspicious vehicles which you see.

“Please don’t ever think your information is trivial, it could be vitally important to our investigation. Please trust your instinct and report anyone or any vehicle that looks out of place.

“This type of information can be of huge value to the police and regularly helps us to disrupt criminals.

The police spokeswoman added: “A number of the offences have been committed during the day when the householder has been out at work or has left the property unoccupied for a period of time.

“So it’s important to make your home look occupied now that dark nights are with us.

“Officers advise people to leave a light on if they are going out for the evening or set a timer switch if they aren’t returning home until the hours of darkness.

“Please tell your neighbours if you are going away on holiday and ask them to be vigilant. Likewise, look out for your neighbouring empty properties and report any suspicious activity.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Harrogate CID.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Anyone who sees a crime in progress, or in an emergency should always call 999.

The Force is working with partners including the crime reduction charity, Community Action and Support Against Crime (CASAC) with residents able to request a free, no obligation security assessment of their home from the charity. Visit www.casac.org.uk for details.