POLICE are urging homeowners – especially people living in South Craven – to be extra vigilant as they step up their action to catch travelling thieves.

It comes as latest figures show that since January, Craven has suffered 89 house burglaries, two of which saw the theft of shotguns.

Both owners were interviewed by North Yorkshire Police licensing officers about the standard of security of the weapons.

So far in July, Craven has seen eight offences. There were 13 offences in June, 15 in May, 12 in April, 8 in March, 15 in February and 18 in January.

The force has set up Operation Veneer, aimed at clamping down on burglaries that involve deploying more officers, the use of technical equipment in 'hot-spot' locations and deploying road crime teams, dogs, firearms and road policing units.

Skipton Police Inspector, Geoff Crocker, said Operation Veneer had seen the arrest of a dozen offenders, some of whom had been convicted while others are on bail. A number of other people have been been intercepted and searched.

"In the main, there are far too many homes that are described as either ‘insecure’ or the homeowner says ‘I don’t know how they got in’, which in my experience means doors and windows were unlocked but people were too embarrassed to say," he added.

Thieves were looking for jewellery and tablets or laptops, and 'popular' cars were VWs, Audis and BMWs.

Sneak-in thefts tended to take place in the afternoon and car thefts in the evening and overnight.

Insp Crocker said: "Our plea is to ensure that doors and windows are locked when you are out.

"When you are at home and inside or working in the garden, ensure unused doors are securely locked, as are vulnerable windows."

Consider up-dating cylinder locks and get alarms fitted by a registered company and do not leave handbags, purses, wallets, tablets or mobile phones on view, he urged.

He advised joining or forming a Neighbourhood Watch by speaking to the local PCSO or subscribe to the Community Messaging System via the northyorkshirecommunitymessaging.org website.