SUSSEX Police is advising home owners in West Sussex to ensure their homes are secure due to a recent rise in burglaries.
Detective Constable Russ King, from West Sussex CID, said: “Unfortunately there has been an increase in the number of house burglaries in parts of Horsham.
“The burglaries have been mainly during the day between lunch time and early evening.
“The properties that have been mostly targeted are detached and set back from the road or are hidden from the road by hedges.
“In most cases entry has been gained by forcing doors at the rear of the property.
“Please make sure that your doors and windows are secure when you are not home. Leave a light on if you will not be home before dark or, to save electricity, you can set up a lamp or two with timer switches that can be purchased from DIY stores for about £5.
“In most cases it has mainly been jewellery that has been stolen. So, when you have a free moment, please try and take photos of any distinctive items of jewellery so that if they are unfortunately stolen we can provide local jewellers with a copy and ask them to call police if someone tries to sell it to them.
“And, always take a note of serial numbers of any items so they can be identified as stolen and returned to you should the police find it later.
“Remember to dial 999 if you think a burglary may be in process and please do not hesitate to dial 101 to make an appointment with a local officer if you have any concerns and would like some home security advice.”
There have been a total of 13 burglaries between November 2011 and December 2011. Properties targeted have been in Horsham, Petworth, Midhurst and Haslemere areas.
These burglaries are not at this stage being linked to the five very recent burglaries in Billingshurst.