HOMEOWNERS are still leaving themselves vulnerable as thieves take advantage of unlocked doors in a spate on house burglaries over Easter.

Three homes were burgled in West Swindon by a gang suspected of roaming the streets trying door handles and taking advantage of unsecured properties.

Thousands of pounds in electrical items, including iPods and cameras, as well as handbags were taken after being left in the front rooms of the houses in Romney Way and Maxey Close, in Shaw, on Saturday night and Bonner Close, in Grange Park, on Sunday night.

It comes after several proactive police operations by neighbourhood officers PC Tom Turner and PC Steve Yeates to educate homeowners, including a late-night patrol testing door handles.

PC Craig Thompson, of the Swindon Priority Crime Team, said residents needed to help protect themselves from being a victim of crime.

He said: “People are still leaving their doors open and it is about 90 per cent of our workload at the moment.

“In these instances the victims have gone to bed with the front doors left unlocked and someone has just tried it and got in.

“They have taken only what they can carry, such as electrical items and handbags. They have probably tried a large number of doors in the area.

“There have been a number of burglaries in West Swindon and these most recently were in Shaw and Grange Park, so we want to make everyone aware across the town to lock up.

“We want to prevent burglaries and people can take easy steps to make sure they are not a victim.”

Police advise residents to check all doors and windows before they go to bed or leave the house.

During a crackdown in January, officers tried the handles on cars and front doors at 80 addresses in Freshbrook and Westlea.

Of these, five homes and three cars were found to be unlocked – which police say equates to week’s work for the opportunist thieves that had been targeting the area in recent months.

For more crime prevention advice visit www.wiltshire.police.uk.

Anyone with any information should contact the Priority Crime Team at Swindon Gablecross Police Station on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.