Residents advised to remain vigilant following reports of suspicious activity and shed burglaries in Warrington

Officers in Warrington are advising residents to remain vigilant and ensure their outbuildings are properly secured following several incidents across the town.

During the early hours of this morning, Tuesday 31 December, officers in Latchford responded to four reports of suspicious incidents involving thefts from sheds and outbuildings.

Police were first called at around 5am to an address on Griffiths Street - the caller reported that they had witnessed an unknown man entering their garden shed. The man quickly made off when he was approached by the owner.

Shortly after, at around 5.50am, officers received a second report that an unknown man had entered a garden on Kingsway South and was acting suspiciously. The man was again approached by the occupants and made off from the address.

At 6.30am, officers were called to an address on Reynolds Street, following reports that a man was acting suspiciously and looking into people’s gardens. The unknown man was reportedly dressed in dark coloured clothing and had his face covered.

Officers swiftly attended the address and arrested a 26-year-old man from the Salford area on suspicion of theft. He remains in police custody at this time and is assisting officers with their enquiries.

Officers were also called at 8.10am, following a report that tools had been stolen overnight from a garage at an address on Henshall Avenue.

Enquiries into the incidents are currently ongoing, and officers are urging anyone with information about these incidents to come forward.

Officers are also urging residents to take action to reduce their chances of becoming victims.

Sergeant Neil Mooney said:

“Enquiries in relation to these incidents are ongoing and I urge anyone with any information, CCTV, or Ring doorbell footage which may assist our investigation to get in touch.

“Residents can also help us and themselves by making it as difficult as possible for criminals to enter their outbuildings.

“We’d recommend keeping any valuables you may have in your home or in a secure garage, shed or outbuilding with good security measures such as lighting, ground anchors, and have CCTV covering any blind spots."

Cheshire Constabulary’s tips for deterring thieves and burglars from targeting your outbuildings include:

• Never leave a garage, shed or other outbuilding unlocked and easy prey for opportunist thieves.
• Fit strong padlocks to outbuilding doors and make sure that the doors are solid enough not to be kicked in.
• Good external security lighting can put off or draw attention to a thief/burglar – the most appropriate form is high efficiency low energy lighting controlled by a dusk-to-dawn switch so that it only comes on when it is dark.
• Strong fencing or gates will make it difficult for intruders to get onto your land.
• Solid fences or walls, particularly those with a flat or rounded top, are relatively easy for a thief/burglar to climb over – fixing trellising to the top can make it more difficult.
• Check for weak spots where a thief/burglar could get onto your land, such as a low or sagging fence or a back gate with a weak lock.
• A thorny hedge along the boundary of your property can put thieves and burglars off, as can gravel areas due to the noise of walking on them.

If you have information relating to the recent suspicious activity in Latchford or any other information you think may be relevant, please contact Cheshire Police on 101 or via the website quoting IML 1995737.

You can also give information anonymously via Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.