by Dave Goodban, Mid Cheshire Chronicle

POLICE are warning residents not to fall foul of ‘hook & cane’ burglars.

Thieves targeted six houses in Hartford on Sunday night and stole six top-of-the-range cars after stealing the keys using the ‘fishing rod’ through the letterbox method.

A BMW 320d, Mercedes SLK 350, Mini Cooper, Range Rover Sport, Toyota Celica, Volkswagen Passat were all taken.

Det Insp Pete Lawless, of the Northwich Proactive Policing Team, claims the crimes are easy to avoid.

He said: “These latest incidents serve as a stark reminder that people simply cannot afford to drop their guard. The hook & cane method of stealing cars is relatively easy to guard against – never leave car or house keys near to windows or doors where a thief could spot them.

“Storing keys in a secure place can dramatically reduce your chances of becoming a victim of this type of crime.”