Burglaries down by 40 per cent in part of South Yorkshire

Police chiefs said that dedicated operations, targeted patrols and a number of arrests saw burglaries fall from 131 offences in January to 79 in February.

Detective Inspector John Wheaton, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “Through meticulously gathering intelligence, we have been conducting targeted patrols in certain areas we know have been affected by burglaries.

“At the beginning of this year, we also ran a successful burglary operation in which we arrested a number of repeat offenders. As a result of this, two men were then charged and remanded into custody in relation to local burglary offences.

“I hope that the residents of Barnsley feel reassured by the reduction in burglaries across the district and I’d like to stress that although we are pleased with the results, this does not mean we are complacent in any way shape or form.

“We will continue to conduct targeted patrols, engage with residents to offer crime prevention advice and work tirelessly to identify those involved in committing burglaries.

“Any kind of burglary is an extremely intrusive crime and can have long-lasting impacts on the victim. We want to do whatever we can to ensure people feel safe living in Barnsley and I’d encourage people to seek crime prevention advice on how best to secure their home if you are unsure about anything.”

To report offenders call South Yorkshire Police on 101.