POLICE have warned residents after more than 20 reported cases of thefts and burglaries in the Thornbury and Alveston in the last month.

Most recently, police have appealed for information after an Audi SQ5 car was stolen from a home in Littleton-on-Severn and three motocross bikes taken from Pilning overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

A yellow Thwaites mini dumper truck was also taken last week, on Thursday, from a building site on Gloucester Road in Rudgeway between 7am and 7.30am.

Witnesses are also being sought out after thieves stole a collection basket containing cash from St Mary’s Church Hall last Saturday sometime between 7.30pm and 8.30pm while a film was being screened.

An outbuilding at Thornbury Hospital was broken into overnight between February 2-3, with four windows were smashed.

Previously, there had been reports of anti-social behaviour at the hospital with young people accessing the unused buildings on the site.

Five homes were hit in the space of a week between February 7-12, with attacks in the Jubilee Drive, Osprey Park and Swallow Park areas of Thornbury and two attacks on the same home in Alveston.

In almost all cases, the intruders targeted window panes on the back door of the property and appeared to be searching for jewellery and cash.

Thieves have also targeted vans in Thornbury containing power tools, with three vehicles hit between February 10-12.

Police have said they believe the van break-ins to be linked, with the culprit likely to be someone local to the area.

However, while linked themselves, the home invasions appeared to be separate, and most likely connected to a series of similar incidents in Bradley Stoke and Patchway just after New Year.

Speaking to the Gazette, Thornbury beat manager PC Sean White said that the general increase in vehicle crime was being taken very seriously.

He said: “This is a safe area to live but I’d ask residents to help us keep it that way by securing their property and reporting any suspicious incidents.

“We are looking to work with police targeting teams and other technology to deter suspects and bring offender to justice in the future.

“We have a very active local policing team who are committed to reducing all types of crime in the area. Please continue to report anything suspicious, especially around suspicious persons or vehicles and door to door canvassers who again could be linked to a lot of the offences.”

Police have reminded residents to ensure their property and homes are kept secure, with valuables marked with traceable ink.

Anyone with information that could help police inquiries are asked to call 101 immediately, and to call 999 if an incident is in progress.