NOW that the warm weather is here, police will be patrolling neighbourhoods offering crime prevention advice to combat the rise in crime that usually takes place in the summer months.

Officers are urging residents to lock the doors and windows of their homes and cars and to report anything suspicious.

Detective Inspector Vinnie De Curtis said: “An open window or door can often be an invitation to thieves who are then able to get into people’s homes without causing a disturbance.

“This isn’t just about reducing burglary. It’s about reducing the upset and distress that comes with having a stranger in your home ransacking your private things and taking not only your valuables but items that are very personal and irreplaceable.”