Police have launched a crime prevention campaign to tackle buglary after a string of offences in South Cambridgeshire.

Four burglaries took place last Tuesday in the district, with a property in Melbourn and another in High Street, Foxton, raided.

A 21-year-old man from Foxton was arrested in connection with the Foxton break-in.

On the same day, seven burglaries were reported in Cambridge city, and as a result Cambridgeshire Police will be focusing on buglary throughout the month of November as part of its award-winning Get Close campaign.

With the clocks having gone back at the weekend and the days getting shorter, Community Reduction officer Carol Aston said the force is concerned that burglars will target homes mid-to-late afternoon and will look for properties that are unoccupied.

She said: “Burglars target homes they think are empty so it’s important that people try to make their homes look occupied.

“Properties are generally broken into from the rear because the burglar doesn’t want to be seen so people should make it as difficult as possible to access their back garden. Tall fencing, noisy gravel, spiky hedges and an alarm system are all worth the investment.

“And of course, windows and doors should always be locked when there is no one at home.”

Last winter, there were 961 burglaries in Cambridgeshire during the four months, from November to February, with 224 in November, 227 in December, 296 in January and 214 in February.

The Get Close campaign seeks to raise awareness of different offences, at the most effective time, throughout the year, using crime analysis to determine its targets.

You can find information on how to protect your home from burglars on the force website. www.cambs.police.uk.

Anyone with information on the burglaries should contact police on 101, or via Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.