LOCK up or lose out is the police message to householders whose homes have been hit by sneaky burglars mainly after handbags and jewellery.

Since the beginning of February a third of all burglaries within the Atherton area happened in the tea time or early evening periods when the victims were at home.

On Thursday night a thief entered a garage integral with a house in Greenfield Road, Atherton and made off with a mountain bike after being disturbed.

Earlier someone entered a home in Highfield Avenue, Atherton through an insecure front door and stole jewellery from an upstairs room while the owners were having tea in their kitchen. Sgt Mark Bradley of Leigh Police warned: "It is a sad state of affairs when we have to advise people to keep their doors locked while they are at home, but things are being made too easy for the thieves." A traffic police patrol car will be used to tour the Atherton area giving crime prevention advice over its loudspeaker system.