On Wednesday February 12 Dartmouth Police received a report of a man found inside a house before fleeing.

A search was conducted but nobody was found.

There was a report of a similar incident circulating on social media from later the same day.

These incidents occurred on the Townstal side of town.

Although no motive has been discovered, people need to be vigilant, especially to the threat of thieves breaking into dwellings to steal car keys for vehicles, particularly high value or performance vehicles.

The threat is real in both urban & isolated, rural areas.

Following the simple steps below can make it harder for these criminals to target you and your property:

Keep keys as far away from the car as possible, preferably in a faraday bag to stop the thieves using a relay device.

Keep all windows closed and doors locked at night and when you’re not in your home.

Keep your keys away from the front door, preferably out of sight, to prevent key-hooking methods through your letter box.

If you have multiple vehicles, try to block them in with each other.

Try not to post on social media that you’re away or on holiday – don’t advertise an empty home!

If you see anything suspicious, please call the Police either via 999 or the 101 telephone service or use the force website; Home | Devon & Cornwall Police