MINEHEAD residents are being urged to ensure their homes and vehicles are secure following further reports of burglaries and suspicious behaviour overnight.

During the early hours of this morning (Friday, January 4) a resident of a property on Cher Road found an intruder inside her house. The burglar fled after he was disturbed.

In another incident, a Range Rover was stolen from a driveway on Whitegate Road, using keys taken from inside the house.

The stolen Range Rover was later located in the village of Porlock where some time afterwards on Crawter Drive, three people were seen trying car door handles.

Sergeant Dan Bishop said: “We’re concerned to see these offences in such a usually safe area and appreciate the anxiety it has caused the community.

“In both burglaries the offender did not cause any damage to gain entry to the properties and so I’d ask people to make sure they secure doors and windows and set their alarm at night if they have one.

“Neighbourhood officers are increasing patrols in the area and we’d encourage anyone who sees someone trying door handles or acting suspiciously around homes or vehicles to call 999 immediately.”

Avon and Somerset Police have issued the following home security tips:

• Fit motion-sensing security lights around your property

• Keep tools locked up in a secure shed or garage

• Make sure garden furniture and wheelie bins can’t be moved to gain access to upstairs windows

• Lock up and set the alarm at night as well as when you go out

• Hide your keys and handbag or wallet safely out of sight

• Keep cash in the bank and high-value jewellery with a secure storage company, not at home

• Never leave keys in the back of the door or window

Anyone with information which could help officers’ enquiries into these incidents is asked to get in touch through avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact, or by calling 101 providing the call handler with the reference 5218/273833.

You can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their Anonymous Online Form.

No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court or have to speak to police when contacting Crimestoppers.