Greater Manchester Police is appealing for information and CCTV footage after a spate of burglaries in Harwood resulted in vehicles being stolen.

Officers are asking for information and CCTV footage, including from video doorbells, concerning four burglaries across three different days.

The first burglary took place on Harley Avenue at 3am on March 5. Two burglaries then occurred on March 7, on Longsight Lane and Dewhurst Road at 2.30am and 3.45am, respectively.

The most recent occurred at around 2.10am on South Drive, on Friday, March 15.

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Astley Bridge neighbourhood sergeant Zach Keneally said burglars were entering houses through back doors, either due to the door being unlocked or by snapping the lock, before taking vehicle keys.

In a post on GMP’s ‘Bee in Loop’ system, the sergeant said: “At each of the burglaries, the point of entry into the houses have been through the rear doors, either due to them being unlocked or snapping the lock. The keys to vehicles have been stolen and then the vehicles stolen.

“Look to upgrade euro cylinder locks on your external doors to an anti-snap cylinder with a three-star rating under TS 007 and/or the Sold Secure Diamond Standard.”

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Lock snapping involves breaking a cylinder in two by applying force and exposing the internal mechanism.

According to locksmiths Lock & Key Centre, the technique involves criminals exploiting a weakness in the internal lock to make it easier to access the mechanism.

Anti-snap locks are now available, which are strengthened with a pin and designed to only snap along a predetermined line, the company says – making it harder to access the mechanism.

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