Humberside Neighbourhood Police teams offer advice on beating sneak thieves during the summer

Officers warned residents to be aware of possible sneak thieves as they open windows and doors during hot spells.

A police spokesman said: “Now that summer is on its way we all want to relax and enjoy the warmer weather and longer days.

“However, we still need to think about home security to prevent ourselves from becoming victims of crime. So, what do you need to consider?

“You need to ensure that your home is always secure when you go out and that you don’t leave potential entry points open and accessible, for example a downstairs window or a door (this also applies at night especially when it’s a warm muggy evening).

“You may be out working in the garden and out of sight of the windows or doors that you have left open. You could even be cutting the grass or be using power tools and it could be so easy in these circumstances for a sneak thief to take advantage of the situation, go inside your home and steal things, for example keys, handbags, wallets, laptops etc that are often on display or easily accessible.

“The same applies with garages. We often leave the doors wide open and go off into the garden leaving everything in them on display. How easy is it then for someone to take advantage of this situation and steal bikes, power tools or garden equipment!

“Lastly, there’s your vehicles to consider: On a warm day, there might be a temptation to leave your car parked on the drive while leaving items on show.

“These could be stolen, but the worst case scenario is that your car could be taken, too.

“The kinds of thefts described are committed by opportunists who could be wandering looking to take advantage of people who leave their property insecure so think security at all times and don’t become a victim of crime!”