Following a number of garage break-ins and the subsequent theft of power tools, police in Mudeford & West Highcliffe are calling on the community to join them in their campaign to deter potential thieves in the local area.

Safer Neighbourhood Officers in Mudeford & West Highcliffe have increased patrols of target areas and have launched a poster campaign encouraging members of the public to be vigilant, paying particular attention to reporting unknown persons or vehicles in the vicinity of garage blocks.

The Safer Neighbourhood Team is also advising residents to recall the mnemonic, SHEDUCATE, to help reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of this type of crime:

Secure access to sheds or garage by locking gates and planting thorny bushes next to walls and fences

Have you visibly marked the contents of your shed or garage? Take photographs and log the serial numbers of high value items

External security lights which are activated by movement are a useful deterrent

Doors of sheds and garages require good quality padbars or closed shackle padlocks

Use coach bolts or non-return screws to secure door hinges

Chain bikes, lawnmowers, ladders and tools to a strong anchor point inside your shed or garage

Alarms for sheds and garages are available at most DIY stores and builders merchants

Take note of any serial numbers that may be on the contents of your shed or garage (log sheets can be obtained by contacting the Safer Neighbourhood Team on 01202 222 222, mobile 07825 521830 or by using the online contact form)

Exactly what insurance do you have? Check that your household policy covers you for theft from your garden or out building

PC Chris Vaughan of Mudeford & West Highcliffe Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “If anyone sees anything suspicious in or around garage blocks in the local area, we would urge them to report it.

“East Dorset is the safest place to live in the UK but the potential consequences of this type of crime – however infrequent – are that people’s feelings of security may be jeopardised.

“This is precisely the sort of localised crime which we, as a Safer Neighbourhood Team, want to identify, address and eradicate.”

An investigation has commenced into the reported incidents and is ongoing.