POLICE have stepped up the fight against burglars after a woman's home was raided while she was in hospital giving birth.

Donna Cook was in hospital giving birth to her second child when thieves raided her and her husband Stu’s home in Cam, stealing items ranging from jewellery to Frozen and Peppa Pig DVDs belonging to their two-year-old daughter.

The family is just one of many in Cam and Dursley to fall victim to a burglary in recent weeks.

Police believe the same gang may be responsible for the break-ins and are urging homeowners in the area to be vigilant.

Donna, 33, was in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for a planned C-section on Tuesday, November 10, when burglars broke into their home by removing a panel on the back door.

In what appears to have been a calm and calculated raid of the property, the thieves took a range of Donna’s jewellery and around 20 children’s DVDs belonging to their daughter.

Donna said: “None of the stuff stolen will make them rich, but the fact they have entered our safe haven for our children has made me feel more vulnerable than I could ever imagine.

“They have pretty much destroyed the memories of what should have been one of the happiest days for us as a family.

“I understand why they would steal my jewellery but why our daughter’s Frozen and Jungle Book DVDs? Who does that?”

The incident occurred just days after the Gazette reported on a spate of burglaries in Cam and Dursley that police believe is the work of an organised gang.

This week, Dursley’s Neighbourhood Policing Team are urging residents to be more vigilant with home security and to report anything that they think is suspicious.

Police said that the darker early nights usually cause a spike in burglaries in Dursley and Cam.

PCSO Josh Griffiths is working to make homeowners more aware of the problem and pushing the message of prevention.

“We find that during the winter months we generally get a rise in burglary," he said.

"Burglars will take any opportunity they can, so if we remove that opportunity we’ll find that we will get less victims of burglary."

PCSO Griffiths added: “Another problem is people are not reporting suspicious incidents. It’s that frame of mind of worrying about whether you are wasting police time that we want to change.

“We’d rather go to a false alarm at three in the morning then turn up after the crime has happened. If you record a crime in the community, there are greater effects for all.

“Remember, the sooner we catch the burglar, the fewer victims there will be.”

The officer added that people should not be afraid of using 999 if the crime is in progress, and encouraged the formation of neighbourhood watch programmes for specific streets or areas of the town.

If you have any information about any of the recent burglaries that may be helpful to police, contact them on 101.

Contact the same number to reach PCSO Griffiths for crime prevention advice regarding your property.

For neighbourhood watch information, you can also contact PCSO Griffiths.

Alternatively, email him at joshua.griffiths@gloucestershire.police.uk