Residents advised to remain vigilant following series of garage burglaries in Winsford

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

On Tuesday 2 April officers in Winsford responded to four burglaries involving garages across the the town. 

The first incident was reported at 8.13am, with the caller reporting that their garage on Byley Way had been forcibly entered by an unknown number of individuals who had snapped a link lock securing the building. Luckily, in this instance nothing was taken.

A second call was reported at 9.08am. The caller reported that their garage, also at an address on Byley Way, had too been forcibly entered by an unknown individuals who had snapped a link lock securing the building - again nothing was taken.

Officers later received a third call not long after at 9.30am, with the caller reporting that three unknown men had been seen on a CCTV camera trying car door handles and shining torches into vehicles overnight on Balwen Close. One of the men was also seen walking up and down driveways.

A fourth call was then reported to officers at 5.22pm. The caller reported that a garage on Pulford Road had been damaged overnight. In this instance, the garage was not accessed and nothing was taken.

Officers are urging anyone with information about these incidents to come forward and are appealing for residents to take action to reduce their chances of becoming victims of similar incidents.

Detective Sergeant John Lyons, of Northwich Local Policing Unit, said:

“Enquiries in relation to these incidents are ongoing and I urge anyone with any information or footage regarding them to get in touch.

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

“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 or locks to doors and make sure that they 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 burglaries in Wilmslow or any other information you think may be relevant, please contact Cheshire Police on 101 or via the website quoting IML-1790993

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