POLICE in Crewe and Nantwich have issued a winter warning to people to lock the doors and windows of their homes.

They say a third of all burglaries in the area currently involve a criminal walking through an unlocked door or climbing through a window, which has been left open.

There have been some 80 household burglaries across the Cheshire Police Eastern Area during October - some 28 involving insecure premises.

These include 10 in the Crewe area.

Many of the burglaries have been carried out in the early evening when the family was at home.

The burglar simply walked in, grabbed a purse or handbag from the hall or kitchen and left.

Detective Sergeant Andy McGillan from the Cheshire Police Eastern Area burglary unit said: “This is a time of year that criminals like.

"Darker evenings mean longer working hours and more profit.

"People should be taking more precautions than ever; not easing back.

"It may be that the unusually warm weather is making people more careless.

"Sitting with a window open may be pleasant, but it presents a criminal with an open invitation.

"Leaving an outside door unlocked is like saying ‘come in and take what you want’”.

“There are burglars in this area who specialise in sneak-ins.

"They will walk along a street trying doors, nipping into back gardens where necessary.

"As soon as they find a door unlocked they will be in very quickly and take what they want, even if you are in the next room.

“In some of the cases we are dealing with people have left doors unlocked or windows open while they were out or while they were in bed so the house was even more vulnerable.

“We encourage people to install security alarms and to fit timer switches to their lights, but the most basic crime prevention precaution of all is to lock the door and close the windows, even if you are in the house.

“We are doing all we can to catch burglars and prevent crime but everyone should take on the responsibility of keeping their own home reasonably secure. “If you are careless you may be in for a double shock.

"Not only will you face the upset and inconvenience of a burglary but you will probably find your insurance company will refuse your claim.”