BURGLARS are targeting homes for easy pickings of cash and jewellery, leaving behind laptops and TVs. The changing pattern emerged this week as police revealed a sharp rise in burglaries with 65 incidents reported since December.

BURGLARS are targeting homes for easy pickings of cash and jewellery, leaving behind laptops and TVs.

The changing pattern emerged this week as police revealed a sharp rise in burglaries with 65 incidents reported since December.

It was described by Det Insp Rickie Botwright as the most serious crime trend in the area in recent years.

On Monday, he led about a dozen uniformed and plain clothed officers in an operation aimed at tracking down eight possible suspects. They blitzed hotspots across north Yarmouth, and Caister and Hemsby in the afternoon, the peak time for offences.

And the heavy police presence appeared to be having the desired affect with no burglaries reported on Monday or Tuesday.

Police said offenders had been breaking into houses in Caister between St Julian Road and Beach Road from the coastline, ducking and diving in alleyways and taking advantage of hiding places.

He said it was likely police were looking for at least three offenders as there were three clear crime patterns.

In 35 burglaries the offender had used a towel, usually discarded nearby, to wipe the scene.

In other offences, burglars had used garden tools from neighbouring properties to force their way in.

And in the third type, body force was being used to break down old wooden back doors.

Jewellery and cash is topping the crooks' wishlist, pickings which can easily be tucked away in pockets in order to avoid detection.

Det Insp Botwright said some of the break-ins could be related to men knocking on doors offering window cleaning services and police had two descriptions of possible offenders.

Officers were told to be on the lookout for youths on bikes, with at least one of the suspects known to use a bike to travel between Yarmouth and Caister.

Detective constables Kevin Maskell and Neil Starland tracked down one suspect, a 15-year-old from Hemsby. He was stopped and questioned.

By late Monday three people were in custody - a man in his 20s had been arrested on suspicion of burglary while a further two men were arrested on suspicion of unrelated assaults.

Det Insp Botwright confirmed five of the suspects were already on police bail pending forensic examinations.

On Wednesday, Lee Bryan, 30, of no fixed abode, was charged with burgling a home in north Caister in November. He will appear before Yarmouth Magistrates Court on March 18.

For more crime prevention advice or to arrange a home security check contact your local safer neighbourhood team on 0845 456 4567.