In the past three months more than 100 burglaries have been committed in houses where windows, doors or other openings have been left open or unlocked.

Croydon police have discovered that burglaries of insecure properties accounted for 17 per cent of all the burglaries committed in the borough over the past 12 weeks.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Champion said: "As can be seen from these statistics, there have been 109 residential burglaries across the borough in the last 12 weeks, where entry has been gained through an open door or window.

“We are working hard to target and arrest burglars in Croydon. However, we do need assistance from the public. During the summer months, people leave windows and doors open and then go out.

“My officers have spoken to burglars who tell them that they target open windows and doors as it is the easiest way to break in without drawing attention to themselves.

“I urge all Croydon residents to make use of basic crime prevention advice and secure windows and doors."

Members of the public can view crime prevention advice on the Met police website, met.police.uk/crimeprevention

• Get the latest crime figures in our Local Information section