Secret symbols chalked on the walls of homes have sparked fears burglars are about to target home.
Mysterious marks have appeared on properties in Stoke-on-Trent and are similar to others that have been discovered elsewhere.
People have been warned by police to look out for the markings which can also be used by utility firms to inform workers of a problem's whereabouts.
But they are also used by burglars to suggest a property is vacant or to indicate if someone is at home.
There have been previous reports where the symbols were being used to flag up expensive dogs or property at a house, reports Stoke on Trent Live.
They have raised concern for some time and in 2014 West Yorkshire Police shared an image of the signs people should look out for.
Other Forces including County Durham, Lanarkshire and Devon and Cornwall have also highlighted the issue.
StaffordshireLive reports mum Libby Dallimore, 35 was concerned about the marks.
She said: "We have an O and Vl outside our house and the neighbours have X X.
"No dogs either side so assuming it's not to do with potential dog-napping but perhaps targeting for burglaries.
"Similar markings spotted on the terrace houses further down."
While the symbols may not be cause for concern, they should be reported to Staffordshire Police on the non-emergency 101 number. Elsewhere in the country, they have been dubbed the "Da Pinci Code" with signs for "nothing worth stealing", "wealthy" and "good target".
A triangle symbol is used to show a single woman lives in the property on her own, or vertical lines could imply a house has obvious valuables inside.
Also keep an eye out for letters ‘M’ which tells other burglars to strike the morning, whereas ‘N’ means a night-time intrusion.
The Safeguarding Hub - which shares home protection advice and information across the UK - previously said: "Between us, we have a fairly extensive knowledge of burglary.
"We have spent many hours speaking to distraught victims, visiting crime scenes and dealing with burglars.
"We have actually seen and experienced these symbols being used by criminals.
"This is not to say that this is a common practice between bands of thieves, for most burglars work alone.
"We do not want to scaremonger and we can say confidentially that the use of these symbols is very rare.
"But, if you are a caregiver to an elderly or vulnerable person and spot strange marks outside their home, do you really want to dismiss it out of hand without just ensuring that the symbol is legitimate?
Security firm Keytek has also highlighted the issue saying: "These ‘robbery markings’ or ‘burglar signals’ are basic sketches and forms that are supposedly used as a ‘code’ to determine whether a house is worth targeting.
"These illustrations are also supposed to indicate to other thieves what type of person lives at the property, such as whether the residents are vulnerable, elderly, or live in a single-family home."
It added: "Chalk is the main material burglars use as it is easily removed and not as noticeable as materials such as spray paint markings outside the house.
"As well as burglar chalk signs, burglars mark houses with almost anything they can; it may be a small blob of paint or a piece of string tied around a lamppost!
"White and blue spray paint markings outside the house are the most common colours used by burglars.
"Make sure you keep an eye out for both colour pains to avoid getting burgled!
"There was also a stint in 2018 mainly found in Dublin where burglars would place clear tape over the keyholes on the exterior access doors.
"If the tape is left intact for the next couple of days they would know the house is currently vacant!"
What to do if you've been burgled?
If you come home one day to find that you yourself have been burgled, there are a couple of steps you must take:
- Don’t touch anything – although you might want to figure out what has been taken, it could potentially destroy fingerprint or DNA evidence.
- Don’t walk around the house – again, intruders might have left footwear marks on the floor which crime scene investigators will want to look into
- If the intruder has left anything behind (this is rare) again, leave it where it is and notify the officer when they arrive.
You’ll be asked to give a police statement as well as any witnesses that were present at the time.
The police will then conduct door to door enquiries in the area, take photographs of your house to find out a potential point of entry.
They'll also look into any CCTV footage in the area and look for any DNA evidence in your home to help determine the culprit.
