Burglary fallsin campaign

The three-week campaign ran from October 27 to November 16 and involved operations by detectives from across the forces, crime prevention roadshows and officers from different departments and divisions working together to hunt for burglary suspects.

The campaign was timed to coincide with Bonfire Night, which traditionally kicks off a five-day break-in spree for criminals in the region. This year the total number of burglaries in the four counties between October 27 and November 16 fell by 16 per cent, down from 1,247 in 2013 to 1,048. In Sussex there were 239 burglaries compared to 256 in 2013. Recent successes for the team include the charging of Christopher Flanagan, of Ironlatch Avenue, St Leonards with a burglary in Shirley Drive, St Leonards, on October 31. Flanagan, was ordered to appear at Lewes Crown Court on December 4.

Detective Chief Inspector Tanya Jones, of Sussex Police, said: “The campaign has been a great success both in catching burglars and encouraging people to make their homes less attractive to offenders. The campaign may have finished but we will continue to target suspects and work with the public to make it harder for criminals to earn a living through burglary in Sussex.”