RESIDENTS in Barnoldswick are being urged to shop thieves to the police in a bid to crack down on sneak-in burglaries in the area.

Police issued the appeal after revealing that burglaries where the occupants were in the house at the time and thieves crept through unlocked doors were increasing in the town.

Inspector Martin Holleran said a small group of thieves were known to the police and there had been arrests in connection with the burglaries but that they were continuing to happen.

He said: "Offenders are walking along the road where the houses come straight on to the footpath and they are just trying all the handles until they find one open. They are going in and usually going for something easy to pinch like a handbag or mobile phone.

"The latest burglaries were all very close to each other and we do believe they are connected to a series of sneak-in burglaries we've been having. We are doing some very active targeting of the addresses of the thieves and telling them that we are focussing on them.

"Many people know who they are and what they are doing. There has been an incident at the old people's home on the town green. Burglary is bad enough itself but when they are going in to old people's homes and stealing from 80-year-olds it's a disgrace.

"People shouldn't be hiding them they should be telling us who they are. We are continuing to gather forensic evidence and two people have been charged with some of the thefts but we are still not stopping these burglaries."

The latest incident occured on Saturday at 3.15am in Lower North Avenue when thieves got into the house through an unlocked door. Two other houses were also burgled in nearby Craven Street and Valley Road.

Anyone who saw someone in the area hanging around or acting suspiciously, should contact the police on 01282 425001 or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.