September 22, 2010 1.40 pm This story is over 175 months old

Burglaries to spike as students return

Crime spike: Police expect a rise in burglary reports as thousands of students have returned to Lincoln this week.

Police are expecting the usual spike in burglaries this time of the year, as thousands of students have returned to Lincoln to begin or continue their studies.

Burglars already targeted a student house on September 21 in Ashlin Grove, in the West End, and stole a laptop worth over £1,000.

Last year over 30 burglaries were reported from September to December, and around 20 of them involved windows or doors left unlocked.

“We do have an annual spike in burglary and often students lose laptops worth a lot of money,” said Inspector Mark Gairthwaite from Lincolnshire Police.

“There are a lot of students living in ground-floor rooms in multi-occupancy houses with windows that face out onto streets.

“If a laptop is left on a bed or desk in clear view from the road, and the window is open or unlocked, a criminal can be in and out in seconds.”

Gairthwaite says one of the main issues was young people away from home being responsible for their personal security for the first time.

He advises new students to put their valuables out of sight when they are not there, close their curtains, and make sure everything is locked.

Source: Lincolnshire Police | Photo: Tim Samoff