Police have issued a warning to homeowners after a burglar gained access to a property through a “pet flap”.
Officers were called around 10pm on Tuesday, October 27 to an address on Rake Lane in Liscard after reports a burglar had gained entry to the rear of a house through a "pet flap" and stole a credit card while the victim was upstairs.
After a number of burglaries in New Brighton and Liscard over the past few days, Wirral Police posted a statement on their Facebook page warning residents about the lengths burglars will go to in order to get into properties.
The post said that a number of burglaries had been committed after criminals gained access to homes through unlocked doors.
More unusually, they said: "If you have a pet flap consider fitting one more sized to suit your pet and one that is also lockable," following Tuesday's burglary.
The post also urged homeowners not to leave their keys in the door “where they can be easily reached through the pet-flap”.
Police said further advice on keeping your home safe from burglary and damage can be found on their website.
Community Policing Inspector Paul Harrison said: “I’d like to reassure people in the community that such incidents are rare and unusual, and we have given reassurance and crime prevention advice to the victim around additional security measures, such as installing a smaller, lockable pet flap, which I’d encourage all pet owners to consider.
"Burglary numbers have decreased year-on-year across Merseyside for three years, and we intend to continue this positive trend.
“To be a victim of burglary is always a traumatic experience, especially when you are at home at the time. If you live in the area and saw or heard anyone acting suspiciously on Tuesday evening, or think you may have captured anything on home CCTV or dashcam, please let us know."
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Always call 999 if a burglary is in progress. Anyone with information on burglary is asked to contact our dedicated email address on operation.castle@merseyside.police.uk
You can also pass information to the social media desk @MerPolCC, call 101 or you can call or the independent charity @CrimestoppersUK anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
