A Crime Alert for the residents of Southport from Merseyside Police.

Protect your property this Christmas

Christmas can be a time of rich pickings for burglars at your expense. The following are a few suggestions to help you to protect your property.

• A light timer to turn on inside lights so it appears someone is at home when you are out
• Close the curtains when it goes dark. This prevents passers- by looking inside the rooms and also viewing the contents of your home
• Keep Christmas presents as well as keys out of sight of windows and doors. Seeing wrapped parcels can be a big temptation for a burglar to break into your property
• If you are going away this Christmas, don’t advertise it on social media. Make sure trustworthy neighbours know you will be away and remember to cancel all deliveries
• You can register anything on Immobilise.com that has a unique identifier
• Thieves sometimes go through contents of refuse and recycling bins. This gives them clues to possible new expensive items to be found in your house. To avoid providing them with this information it is advisable to take the discarded empty boxes to a recycling centre or dispose of the boxes gradually over a period of time
• Pickpockets are also looking for an early Christmas present. Take precautions to keep your wallets, purses and handbags protected particularly in crowded places.
• Please be aware of people trying to distract you, they sometimes work in pairs, one causes a distraction while the second person takes the items from you without you being aware of it until it is too late.

Stay safe and secure during the Christmas and New Year period. Enjoy the parties, family gatherings and other festive activities.

News from your Community Policing Team

Warren Peter Wright age 45 from Southport has been arrested and charged with theft after stealing a wallet from a 75 year old male in Southport Town centre. He has been sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment.