Pople are being urged to be vigilant after an increase in the number of burglaries in the Botley area.

The first raid happened at 9.05pm on February 25. A man was in his house in Eynsham Road when he saw in the mirror a reflection of a young man. The intruder noticed that he had been seen and ran away.

The man was wearing dark clothing and a balaclava or possibly a hooded top and a scarf to cover his face. He was about 5ft 10in tall and slim. The man left the property and headed in the direction of Pinnocks Way.

Between 6am and 10am on March 13, a house in North Hinksey Lane was burgled and the thieves stole two laptops and a handbag.

On Tuesday, between noon and 1pm a neighbour saw a man carrying a rucksack walking away from a house in the Eynsham Road area.

It was later discovered that the house had been burgled and some electrical items had been stolen.

The man was white, aged between 17 and 22 and was skinny with dark brown hair. He was between 5ft 6in and 6ft tall and was wearing a beige coloured top.

PC Paul Reece said: “Burglaries can be distressing for any victim and although we are working hard to tackle these crimes and catch those responsible I would like to take this opportunity to ask residents to help us to do this.

“I urge anyone who might have seen any suspicious activity or has any information about these burglaries, to contact me.

“Around the time these burglaries happened we have received reports of men knocking on doors, trying to sell goods. Although most people who do this are genuine, I would like to ask anyone who feels concerned, too contact us.

“Most burglaries are carried out by opportunist thieves. In two out of ten burglaries, they don’t even have to use excess force; they manage to get in through an open door or window. If doors aren’t locked properly, especially UPVC doors, the thieves can use an implement through the letterbox to open the door."