A BLITZ on burglars has been launched in the run up to Christmas to curb the growing number of break-ins.

The month-long campaign by Durham Police will involve all 1,100 front-line officers, including the traffic unit and specialist teams of detectives, under the umbrella of Operation Bullseye.

But the purge is also aimed at stemming late-night violence, drug-related offending, criminal damage and drink-driving.

Previous Bullseye operations have helped to hit the target over the previous two years, with more than 400 suspects arrested and questioned, while tens of thousands of pounds of property have been recovered.

Each of the six territorial divisions within the force area is tailoring the operation to meet local needs, to focus on crime hot-spots and address community concerns.

Assistant chief constable Ron Hogg said: "We want the criminal fraternity to know we are collectively determined to make life truly miserable for known thieves and burglars who might be more active than usual at this time of year.

"We hope publicity generated by Bullseye, allied to our high-profile patrols, will put members of the public on their guard.

"There are many things people can do to protect themselves and make life difficult for criminals."

He said the police and public need to be extra vigilant, and he added that, despite the rise in burglaries, more arrests had been made in the past seven months.