Police in Yateley are appealing for witnesses after a burglary at an address in Blaire Park on Thursday, November 20. At around 12.35am the home of a 96-year-old woman was broken into and items including a bank card and a set of large, lined curtains were stolen.

The curtains are a cream colour and are embossed with a leaf or floral design.

PC Tony Stuart, of the Yateley Safer Neighbourhoods team, said: “This was a despicable crime carried out at the home of a vulnerable member of the community. “Breaks like this are rare and we would urge anyone with information about it to contact police as soon as possible. “We would also ask anyone who comes across any of the stolen property to get in touch with us. “Residents are reminded to ensure their homes are secure at all times and windows and doors are double locked.”

Hampshire Constabulary offers the following Safer Homes advice:

• Keep valuable items out of view – if you have electrical equipment worth hundreds of pounds, don’t keep it by the window where passers-by can see it.
• Never leave a key under a doormat or on a string through the letterbox – it’s the first place any burglar will look.
• Make sure tools and ladders are kept in a secure place – burglars will happily use your own garden equipment to break into your home.
• If you’ve taken extra security precautions, let would-be burglars know. If you have an alarm, make sure the box can be clearly seen. If you take part in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, display a sticker in your window, and if you have a dog, put up a warning sign.
• Hide financial documents and keys – if someone does break in you don’t want them to also steal from your bank account or take your car.
• Make sure you secure all your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even if you are ‘just popping out’.
• If you are in the garden or upstairs, make sure your downstairs doors are locked – in the summer burglars can often just open the front door and help themselves.
• Deadlock your doors with the key – don’t just lift up the handle.
• Make use of all door and window locks fitted in your home.
• Consider getting a letter box deflector.
• Keep house keys upstairs or store them near the door out of sight for easy access in an emergency.
• Keep your car keys away from the front door and store them somewhere safe.
• Keep handbags out of sight.