Police chief urges vigilance

Chief Inspector of Performances and Operations, Derek McCamley, praised quick-witted householders for refusing the callers entry and urged the public to check for identification before allowing callers into their homes.

He said he was unable to give further details of where the incidents took place.

Mr McCamley also thanked the community for its help in fighting crime and said the public was getting the message as to the importance of securing property.

The chief-inspector said too it paid to be a nosey neighbour.

“The public are getting the message out there,” he said. “They are locking their doors and windows and they are reporting suspicious activity to the police.”

Mr McCamley reported police made three arrests after an eagle-eyed member of the public reported suspicious activity in their area and he encouraged communities to form Neighbourhood Watch Schemes, which he also claimed helped combat crime.

In January there were 25 reported break-ins in Lisburn, compared to 35 reports in January 2015.

In February this year there were 22 reports of break-ins as opposed to 24 reports last February.

Mr McCamley said burglars were no longer looking for high-end electric goods and instead looking for quick money - cash and jewellery.

He said there was also an increase in thefts from new-builds, with opportunist thieves stealing boilers and white goods.

In the Lisburn and Castlereagh City area there were 328 drugs-related crimes reported last year, of which 260 were solved.

Of 467 drug crimes reported in 2014/15 , 416 weresolved, a clearance rate of 88.4 per cent.