White vans put under the police spotlight

Barnsley has seen the sharpest rise in the number of burglaries from homes in South Yorkshire - up 16 per cent in the year to this August, compared to last year.

Rotherham has also seen a 10 per cent rise over the same period, while Doncaster has seen a two per cent reduction, and Sheffield, a large drop of 17.6 per cent.

Last week there were 82 burglaries forcewide and of them nearly 40 per cent were burglaries from homes where a door or window were left open. In Barnsley four out of the five homes burgled had been left insecure.

South Yorkshire Police has been targeting key crimes and today’s day of action, which includes raids on suspects, is the third in a series.

The force is asking the public to inform them of any suspicious vans by calling 101.

Temporary Detective Inspector Mark Cockayne, who is responsible for the Sheffield district, said a student recently had a lap top stolen - after using it to keep a window ajar. He said: “I sometimes think people believe it won’t happen to them.”

He said they would be out today encouraging students to download apps like Find my iPhone and register their serial numbers with police.

Mr Cockayne said the “ping” from a stolen electrical item could narrow it down to a street “then intelligence systems do the rest.”

They were also targeting areas where there have been burglaries recently, as anecdotal evidence suggests that for three weeks after a burglary the victim’s home and those in the immediate vicinity are most at risk of being targeted again.

Assistant Chief Constable Max Sahota, who is leading the day of action, pledged: “Not only will we be bringing offenders before the courts but we will also seek to seize their assets, which are often illegally gained.”