Police have advised Teddington residents to ensure that their property is safely secured following a series of overnight car burglaries that took place on Sunday (January 26).

A statement posted online by Met Police Teddington said: "Residents, we've had four reported car break in's overnight.

"All occurred around Station Rd, Harrowdene Gardens and Broad St.

"All featured property left visible and on display.

"We will be focusing our patrols on these roads for the foreseeable but please remove your property!"

The Met also confirmed there will be more patrols in the area as a result of Sunday's incidents.

Officers from Teddington also said that they had encountered more than a dozen cars that were unlocked as well as coming across cars that had property out on display which includes MP3 Players and Sat Nav's.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Photo credited to Met Police in Teddington.

In a bid to help residents to keep their property and car's safe - the Met Police have designed some simple tips and advice for residents to follow:

Always lock it:

Fuelling up or popping back into your house to get something are perfect examples of how easy it is to turn your back for a moment and forget your vehicle is unsecured. So get into the habit of locking your vehicle even if you’re only going to be away from it for a moment.

Close windows and the sun roof to prevent ‘fishing’:

Leaving windows and the sunroof open invites fishing for items through the gap by hand or with, say, a bent coat hanger, which could also be used to unlock a door for them to get in.

Thieves can be ingenious.

Don’t give them the opportunity.

Secure your number plates with tamper-resistant screws:

The easiest way to change the identity of a stolen vehicle or avoid speeding tickets and parking tickets is to fit stolen number plates.

Using security screws to attach your vehicle’s number plates makes it harder for thieves to get your number.

Secure anything that’s on the outside of your vehicle:

Anything left on roof-racks, tailgate racks, holiday top boxes or in tool chests are easily stolen when the vehicle is parked.

The use of cable locks, padlocks and self-locking tools chests, which are secured to the vehicle, makes them more secure, but still, don’t leave things in them if you can avoid it.

For further information and advice, visit Sold SecureExternal Link.

Take it with you or hide it:

Your mobile phone, coins for the car park, sunglasses, packs of medication or other items that can earn quick cash are irresistible to the opportunist thief.

Remember, the cost of replacing a window is often much more than that of what’s stolen.

And it should go without saying that wallets, handbags, purses and credit cards should never be left in an unattended vehicle.

Visit the Met Police online for more advice and tips.