Attempted burglars flee after being disturbed as they tried to break into Biggleswade home

A trio of attempted burglars fled after being disturbed as they tried to break into a Biggleswade home.

Three offenders climbed over the rear gate of the property on Potton Road and tried to force entry by breaking the rear glass door.

But they were disturbed by the occupant and ran off.

The incident happened at about 9.10pm on Tuesday, October 5.

Earlier that same evening - at around 7.45pm - a similar attempted burglary happened in Malthouse Green, Luton - when a person returned home to find three intruders in their home.

The offenders were wearing dark clothing and face coverings.

Detective Constable Kevin Howes, who is investigating both incidents, said: “With days becoming shorter and nights approaching earlier, we usually see an increase of break-ins across the county around this time of year.

“Opportunistic criminals take advantage of the longer dark hours to burgle properties and we would like to remind residents of our advice on how to protect your home and property from burglars.

“We would like to ask anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious in the areas the offences took place to get in touch as any information may assist us in identifying and apprehending the perpetrators.”

How to protect your homes from opportunist burglars

Use your lights at home – keep them on a timer when you are out so it looks like someone is home

Make sure all doors on your house and vehicle are securely locked at all times. If you have a UPVC door at home, make sure it is double locked

Keep all valuables and keys safely out of sight from windows, both in your home and car. Close curtains with a light on indoors

Never leave garages or sheds unlocked – not only can valuable tools be appealing to thieves, they can also be used to force entry to your home

Don’t hide your keys under a doormat or in a flowerpot – it’s the first place a would-be offender will look

Ask a friend to keep an eye on your house when you go away, and do the same for neighbours by remaining alert to suspicious activity in your street

If you spot someone behaving suspiciously, contact police immediately

If you have information about these incidents please get in touch with DC Howes on 01234 842059, visiting the police online reporting centre, or by calling 101, quoting reference 40/53030/21 for Luton and 40/53057/21 for Biggleswade incident.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers charity anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.