BURGLARS have been fishing through letterboxes to steal keys to open front doors in Didcot.

Cars, keys, laptops and handbags are just some of the goods that have been taken from houses in the Ladygrove area.

Police have urged residents to be on their guard after seven burglaries and two attempted burglaries since mid March.

The most recent incidents happened overnight last Wednesday.

Thieves broke into a house in Long Furlong and stole a laptop and a set of car keys.

They then drove away in a blue Audi TT Quattro.

On the same night, a house in Westwater Way was burgled and a number of items including three sets of car keys, house keys, £100 cash, credit cards, a handbag, two purses, a briefcase and an HD video camera were stolen.

All items apart from the cash, one of the credit cards one set of car keys, the video camera and one of the purses were recovered by police in an alleyway about 100 yards from the house.

Dc Rich Allmond said: “In both burglaries, offenders gained access to the properties via the letterbox. They used a stick or other device to reach through to unlock the doors.

“It is imperative residents ensure they secure all the doors and windows, including always dead-locking their doors. A door is not properly locked unless a key is used to double lock it. People need to make sure they hide their keys or take them upstairs with them when they go to bed.”