Man charged in connection with burglary spree

Neil Murdoch, 37, of Tennyson Avenue, Dunstable, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with burglary in connection with three incidents in Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday.

The first incident was a burglary in Belsize Close between 9am and 7.30pm where the patio door at the rear of the property was forced open and a suitcase containing paperwork was stolen (Crime reference: D1/15/1088).

At 8.10pm a burglary in Sylvan Close saw the front door of the property forced open but no items were stolen from inside (Crime reference: D1/15/1087).

A third burglary, this time in Belsize Road at 7.10pm, saw the rear door of the property forced open but again no items were stolen from inside (Crime reference: D1/15/1095).

Murdoch was also charged with obstructing a police officer during his arrest. He appeared at Hatfield Remand Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody.

Detective Inspector Carolyn Taylder urged people to vigilant after a spike in similar crimes.

She said: “Whilst an arrest has been made, we have been experiencing a higher than usual number of burglaries across Dacorum recently so I’m asking people to be aware.

“Work is on-going to prevent further incidents through proactive patrols, however I would urge people to remain vigilant and contact police if they see anyone acting suspiciously around a property.”

Det Insp Taylder said people should not think twice if they suspect something untoward.

She added: “Please call police immediately via 999 if you believe a crime could be in progress. We’d rather attend and find out that it is nothing than miss a vital opportunity to catch an offender.”

Residents are asked to take note of the following security advice:

Make sure you double-lock any UPVC doors by lifting the handle and locking it (to engage the security features) before you go to bed or leave your home (if you remove the key make sure you have a fire escape plan).

Check all doors are locked and all windows, including those upstairs, are secure before you go out

Consider installing alarms and ‘dusk to dawn’ security lighting

Secure your rear garden - lock your shed, shut and lock any gates and keep fences maintained. Don’t leave ladders and tools outside - they could be used by a burglar

Use timer switches on lamps to give the impression somebody is at home

At home, keep all loose valuables out of sight of any would-be thieves.

Don’t leave any boxes which advertise to thieves what’s available in your home outside by the dustbin. Where possible, keep your wheelie bin a good distance behind the gate or fence to prevent them being used to get into the garden.

Post code marking your valuables with a UV pen and registering them on a free property database like www.immobilise.com can work as a deterrent to thieves and can increase the chances of your property being recovered if it is stolen.