RESIDENTS in Whitefield are being urged to be on their guard from opportunist thieves following a number of sneak-in thefts recently.

Crime Reduction Advisor Gaynor Mason, from Bury Police, said: "Every day someone becomes a victim of a sneak-in theft because they have left a door unlocked or a window open.

"Residents might think that being in the house will deter a thief from venturing in. Sadly that is not the case. It is because people are in that thieves believe they can gain entry more easily through an unlocked door."