MEMBERS of Thurrock’s community safety programme have been out offering tips to residents in Stanford-Le-Hope following a spate of burglaries in the town.

The team, which is supported by Essex Police - who are placing extra resources into Stanford after identifying it as a burglary hot spot in recent weeks - visited the train station, Stanford-le-Hope Primary and the High Street to give out free anti-burglary and car theft information, advice, property security markers and anti-theft number plate packs.

Over 350 people were spoken to, with all receiving anti-theft tools and advice.

Essex Police Inspector Leigh Norris called burglary a “harrowing crime”. He said: “Essex remains a very low crime area, but burglaries do happen and there is, on occasion, a trend to target houses and steal vehicle keys and the vehicles themselves.

“This form of burglary, along with conventional offences where homes are broken into with the intention of stealing property, are particularly harrowing crimes which can have a devastating effect on the victim and something we take very seriously and try our hardest to prevent, reduce and detect.”

Andy Gavin Dennett, the council’s head of public protection said: “We have seen an increase in domestic burglary and vehicle crime recently and we wanted to take some positive action to help raise awareness and give advice to residents about how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.”