The number of victims of burglary in North and East Hampshire has reduced since the start of Operation Nemesis.

In the four week period leading to December 28, 2008 there were 160 dwelling burglaries in North and East Hampshire.

Since the start of Operation Nemesis in January, the following four week period saw a reduction to 106 burglaries and the latest figures show they have fallen to 75 in the period to Thursday, February 12.

Officers across the North and East Operational Command Unit (OCU) are continuing to work hard to target burglars and there is still concern around car key burglaries.

Vehicles are being targeted by burglars who break into homes and take the keys in order to steal them.

During January, 12 car key burglaries were reported and 15 have been reported during February.

Detective Chief Inspector David Annets, Operation Nemesis lead for North and East OCU, said: "Vehicles are being targeted for a number of reasons. Firstly, high performance cars are the vehicles of choice for organised crime groups involved in other serious crimes. Secondly, they may be stolen in order to break down their component parts for resale or they may be taken as a means of conveying other stolen property from a house. Criminals believe that the very nature of the speed of these vehicles makes it difficult for police to safely pursue and that by breaking down vehicles it makes it difficult for us to trace them.

"We have recently pursued a number of vehicles and arrested people involved in burglaries and we are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure they are dealt with accordingly.

"The easy access to the North East of Hampshire from London and the rest of the country via the excellent road network means that those houses nearer to the M3 corridor are more at risk, particularly in the Blackwater, Farnborough, Aldershot and Basingstoke areas.

"Homes with uPVC front doors are particularly at risk as many householders believe they cannot be opened from the outside without a key. Unfortunately, these doors can be easily unlocked by burglars if they are not double locked with a key from the inside.

"When properly used they are among the most secure doors available. However when not double locked a thief can easily put a tool through the letterbox to release the internal handle.

"Thieves can be in and out of a house within a minute, and the first the owner is aware they have been burgled is when they wake in the morning to find the car keys missing from the hall table, and the car missing from the driveway. Please think about how you would manage in the morning if your car was not there and ensure you keep keys out of sight and if possible, in a lockable cupboard or drawers.

"We are using a number of tactics to counter this threat. Advertising has been set up with local garage forecourts and radio stations advising people of the threat, unmarked police cars are deployed regularly to trace those responsible for these crimes and additional officers and PCSOs are conducting patrols in areas most at risk.

"For the foreseeable future officers will also be routinely stopping many high performance vehicles that they see travelling on the roads of North and East Hampshire after midnight in order to deliver this crime safety message, and to check whether the vehicle has in fact been stolen."

For more information about policing in your area visit the local policing pages of Hampshire Constabulary at www.hampshire.police.uk.