Unfortunately the ward of Forest Hill has been subject to two burglaries over recent days, the Dartmouth Road and Horniman areas of the ward.

These incidents appears opportunistic in nature so can I again ask you all to be mindful of your home and it's contents. Burglars choose houses that have no obvious home security, appear unoccupied or have easy or unobserved entry points.

With this in mind, by taking simple security measures, one can dramatically reduce the potential of these offences.

Take a few moments to think about the boundary to your property; is the fencing in good repair? have I got trellis or similar items to prevent someone climbing over; Trellis is such a good deterrent as it is not load bearing, makes a lot of noise when broken and is pleasing on the eye.

Are your windows and doors locked when you go out, it is surprising how many people don't lock their doors, especially when secondary locks are fitted. Is your alarm set? Try and get into the habit of setting these even when you retire for the evening.

Although we cannot guarantee a totally crime free future, by taking simple steps or thinking about your home we can reduce the opportunity for these individuals to commit this impactive and awful crime.