RESIDENTS are being urged to keep lights on and make sure homes are locked up at night to prevent them becoming a target for thieves.

Hambleton and Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership is urging people not to leave houses in darkness, especially between 4pm and 9pm.

The partnership has issued a six-point guide to securing property, and advise that a well lit home gives the impression someone is in; use timer switches to turn lights on; don’t leave curtains closed during the day; lock all windows and doors; keep valuables out of sight; and keep gates well secured.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Carl Les, chairman of Hambleton and Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership, said: “We are all leading busier lives and between 4pm and 9pm we are all less alert - we are coming home from work, collecting children from school, carrying in bags of shopping.

“We don’t pay enough attention to what is going on around us.

“But with a little thought we can prevent a large number of these incidents and the distress that it causes to the victims. “Do not make it easy for the burglar - a few seconds of action and maybe a small amount of expense can thwart these criminals.”