BURGLARS have helped themselves to yet more bikes in the Blakeney area after a garage and van were forced open.

Five mountain bikes were taken from premises in Blakeney Hill Road overnight on Sunday to Monday, December 29 to 30, following two previous high value motorbike and push bike raids at neighbouring properties in the previous two months.

Another push bike was also removed from a nearby parked van the same night the five bikes were taken – thefts which were among a spate of seven break-ins in the Blakeney and Yorkley areas over the festive period.

And they came after £20,000 of six padlocked motorbikes and pedal bikes were stolen from a locked shutter-doored garage in New Road, Blakeney, at the end of October, while burglars struck again at the end of November and took £7,000 worth of tools and bikes from a workshop in Old Street Farm, Nibley.

In the first raid, a vintage red 1979 Honda Red Rocket Motocross Bike in ‘immaculate’ restored condition was among the items stolen by burglars, who wheeled the bikes across a field at the back of the house and onto a lane.

The second raid on the farm workshop saw a DT 125r 2001 motorbike stolen, along with a Land Rover Dynamic orange mountain bike.

Revealing the latest spate of burglaries, which included the theft of jewellery worth more than £1,000, Forest Neighbourhood Watch field officer, Chrissie Parkes, posted: “There have been seven incidents recently. A property in the Yorkley Slade area was broken into on the 24th of December. Entry was gained by forcing a window, nothing was stolen.

“Another property in the Lower Road area of Yorkley was broken into on the 27th. Unknown offenders have gained entry by breaking a window in the sun lounge. An untidy search of the property was made and over £1,000 worth of jewellery was stolen.

“There have also been incidents in the Blakeney Hill Road area of Blakeney on the 29th and 30th of December.

“A van was broken into and a bike stolen, a shed was broken into at another property but nothing was taken, and a garage was forced open and five mountain bikes were stolen.

“There was also an attempt to break into a van parked in the Newnham Road area of Blakeney, (and) three males were seen in the area at the time.

“A flat was also broken into on the 30th in the Yorkley area, it is unknown if anything has been taken.

“If you have any information regarding these incidents please report it to the police on 101.”

Police have been carrying out foot patrols and delivering crime prevention leaflets in the Blakeney area.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said: “It might sound obvious, but make sure you lock the doors and shut the windows whenever you leave your van unattended, and never leave any valuables visible.”

It also urged householders to ensure outbuildings were secured.