POLICE today urged householders in the west of Ipswich to be on their guard after a spate of burglaries in the area.

POLICE today urged householders in the west of Ipswich to be on their guard after a spate of burglaries in the area.

In the first 12 days of March there were 20 burglaries in the west of the town, the majority concentrated on the Bridge and Alexandra wards.

The figures are double what they were in the same period last year and equal to the entire number of burglaries in west Ipswich in February.

The number of burglaries has also increased in central and eastern Ipswich, compared with the same period last year, but not on the same scale.

A spokeswoman for Ipswich police said: “There has been a marked increase in house burglaries in the south west of Ipswich recently.

“The trend started in the Bridge ward but seems to be shifting to Alexandra ward.

“Entry to houses is predominantly through rear windows and doors and electrical items suitable for quick re-sale stolen.”

Despite the increase, the number of burglaries is still considerably lower than at the end of 2005 when west and central Ipswich experienced more than 100 burglaries in two months.

In those incidents raiders were smashing panes of glass on the front doors of houses and forcing their way into the properties, often in the late afternoon or early evening.

In the latest burglaries, thieves have smashed windows or removed panes of glass from windows to get into homes.

In one burglary, on March 2 in Seymour Road, entry was gained by removing a cat flap.

And, on March 6 in Wherstead Road, burglars got into a house by smashing glass in the front door and unscrewing the letterbox to undo the catch.

The police spokeswoman said: “Residents are advised to be conscious of security, to secure rear gates, keep valuables out of sight, to security mark property and to use lights on timers.

“Vigilance is vital and residents are asked to report any suspicious activity.”

For crime prevention advice contact your local crime prevention officer at Suffolk police on 01473 613500.

Have you been a victim of burglary? Tell us your story. Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.