Man charged following Durham City burglary

We’re urging residents to be vigilant following a spate of burglaries in Durham City.

Over recent weeks, we’ve seen a rise in the number of burglaries reported in the Gilesgate, Sherburn Hill, Sherburn Road, and Sherburn Village areas.

Extra officers have been deployed to these areas to provide high visibility patrols and several people have been arrested in connection with the incidents.

This includes a 49-year-old man who was arrested yesterday afternoon (January 30) following a break-in at a property in Old Elvet earlier that day.

He has since been charged with burglary and remanded in custody to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court tomorrow morning (February 1).

Historically the number of burglaries committed tends to rise in the winter months, with burglars using the cover of darkness to commit crime.

That’s why we’d urge residents to take extra precautions to try and deter opportunistic thieves. This includes:

• close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes
• double-lock any door
• make sure that any valuables are out of sight
• keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening
• never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways
• in the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on
• if you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night
• set your burglar alarm
• make sure the side gate is locked
• lock your shed or garage
• lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor

If you see somebody acting suspiciously report it to the police immediately by calling 101 or, in an emergency, call 999.