Very worrying to hear about the recent spate of burglaries. But, Brian, I'm not convinced that burglary numbers are decreasing? Esp in current economic climate, which might imply the opposite.

Anyway, with regards to what can be done to prevent - this time last year I was living in Hackney and my flat had three (yes, really!) burglaries in six weeks. One of which was in the middle of the afternoon and the burglar/s removed the ENTIRE front window, including the frame, to gain access. And no neighbour heard it. These criminals are extremely adept at what they do and shouldn't be underestimated. Alarms, decent locks, double glazing and security grills (esp if you have a house/ground-floor flat) are recommended by police.