Secure your property and valuables, Safer Rother Partnership says, following spate of burglaries

That's the message from the Safer Rother Partnership following a recent spate of burglaries in the district.

Detective Inspector Ian Williams, chair of the Safer Rother Partnership's Property Crime Action Group, said, "Burglary in Rother remains at low levels, but a few residents have made life a little easier for criminals by leaving a spare key under the mats or pots outside their front door.

"We will keep working hard with our partners to keep burglary low and reduce it even further, but residents have an important role to play in this too."

Residents can help to keep burglary low in Rother by ensuring that gates or access to the rear of the house are locked and secure.

Don't forget to lock your shed as tools can be used to break into your house, use locks and bolts and keep all your keys, including car keys, out of sight and out of reach, and property-mark your valuables by using your post code and your house number or name.

Some items are unsuitable for marking so photograph them with a ruler in view to show scale.

Registering property on Immobilise, the world's largest free register of personal property, which is used by all UK police forces including Sussex Police, will help officers to return stolen property to its owners. Valuables can be registered at www.immobilise.com.

For more advice and information about how to protect your home from burglary, visit: www.sussex.police.uk/operations/op_twilight.asp.

If you see anything suspicious or think a crime is about to happen dial 999.