Residents have been warned to be on the guard over the next two months when Merton's thieves are most active.

Statistics over the past five years show that October and November is the peak time for thieves, fraudsters and robbers in the borough as the nights get longer.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Williams, Merton's borough commander, said: "That already seems to happening as this week we have seen a spike in burglary in Longthornton Ward.

"As you would expect I have increased patrols in this area and we are monitoring intelligence on a daily basis."

He added: "If you see, believe or even think that a crime is happening then call 999 as soon as possible. "I would rather you call us and not need us than need us but not call us.

"As a resident said to me recently, ‘these crimes don’t happen in silence - let's look out for each other’. "Please remember, you are the best security device ever invented."

On Sunday, September 22, Wimbledon Police station will be having an open day from 10 to 4pm giving local residents a rare opportunity to look behind the scenes of a working police station.

To help borough residents protect themselves and their property, Merton police suggested a few simple steps to follow:

  • Lock away garden tools, patio furniture and ladders as burglars can use them to break into property;
  • Invest in secure locks for sheds as well as doors to the house;
  • Keep gates, fences and walls in good repair;
  • Simple trellis can add additional height to rear garden fences and make climbing them more difficult;
  • Side gates should be positioned close to the front of the house to make them visible to the neighbours;
  • If you see anything suspicious, call 999 immediately.
 

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