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Derbyshire residents were urged to keep their homes safe from potential criminals after a rise in burglaries.

Derbyshire Police have reported a small increase in the number of burglaries in the Derbyshire Dales area.

The force has issued safety advice to residents, to reduce the likelihood that criminals will target their properties.

A force spokesperson said: “Most burglars are opportunist, and they are unlikely to target a specific house – they seek out the easiest option where minimum effort is used and will get the most rewards. Criminals will weigh up their risk of getting caught and how long it will take them to carry out the crime without drawing any attention to themselves.

Residents were advised on how to keep their homes secure.

“They will even consider is it is risky to handle or sell on any stolen property due to the risks it may have. For example, high value tools that have been security marked with some personal details will be tricky to sell on, as those marks will have to be removed, which raises a lot of suspicion around the provenance of the items.”

Residents were encouraged to consider visible security measures, which are more likely to convince a would-be burglar that they should not break into an address.

A force spokesperson added: “Good home security increases the criminal’s risk of being caught, so look at it from the perspective of the criminal – are you making it difficult for them to choose your house as their prize? Have they got to spend time breaking into your property, and is it easy to find or steal property quickly?

“When assessing your property look at each layer – fencing and boundaries, garages and sheds, doors and windows, alarms, CCTV and internal security.”

The force recommended using The National Property Register. This is a website that stores property ownership of items, such as smart phones, tablets, bicycles, tools and more.

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The site allows you to securely search through Recipero’s vast property history database and is kept up to date in real time.

The portal is fully integrated with sites such as Immobilise, Report My Loss and CheckMEND, which are websites where people can register their valuable possessions in case of theft or lost.

Registering your property on either of the websites makes it easier for items to be returned to the owner if recovered or found.

Police warn Derbyshire residents to secure their properties after increase in burglaries