POLICE in Colne are urging residents to be more vigilant and keep their doors locked to prevent sneaky thieves from entering their homes.

Sergeant Jon Puttock said there had been a series of sneak-in thefts in the Alkincoats area of the town where thieves were simply walking into houses through unlocked doors.

He said: "People need to be aware that this is quite a common method of gaining entry and I just want to send out a general preventative message to them. About 40 per cent, if not higher, of all dwelling house burglaries are sneak-in burglaries of this kind.

"Residents should ensure they keep their doors secure and property safe."

Thieves got into a house in Milford Street through an unlocked kitchen door, between 6 and 7pm, on Tuesday and stole a handbag containing cash and a mobile phone, worth £250.

A house in Alkincoats Road was also targeted this week, when a thief stole a wallet containing a small amount of cash and credit cards after sneaking in to the house through an unlocked back door.