Worried residents have been told to secure their homes after a burglar was caught in the act by a homeowner during a "distressing" incident.
It occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning, March 1, in Coronation Road in Woodthorpe.
The burglary is one of a spate of similar crimes being reported in the Mapperley and Woodthorpe areas in the last week, with other burglaries reported in Gedling and Arnold.
On this occasion, only a laptop was stolen - but other items were found outside the house which means the burglar may have been planning to take an awful lot more.
Residents living on Coronation Road told Nottinghamshire Live that they have experience attempted burglaries on their vehicles and their homes while living there.
Mark Hearnden, who moved into his house in 1994, said: "We've been targeted a number of times.
"I have had tools stolen out of my van. I'm going to get some CCTV installed.
"We've also had our car badly damaged and the person drove off, that cost nearly £3,000 to repair. It's been happening for years on this road - I think it's because we have main roads on either side.
"So it's easy to get here and make a quick getaway."
Chris Peacock, 24, woke up to see police on the street on Tuesday morning.
"There was a police van outside and crime scene investigation," he said.
"We've not really been targeted since I've moved here. I left my car unlocked once by accident and when I came back I saw that someone had been in there as things had been moved. But nothing had been taken."
Meanwhile, another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "It's definitely a real issue here.
"My son used to keep his motorbike here and they tried to steal it three times. Most recently it was in December, just before Christmas.
"But it's been going on for a while now - going back 20 years we got broken into four times.
"We went to a wedding and we had three cars stolen from outside the house."
Detective Inspector Richard Guy, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We are working hard and pursuing lines of enquiry to find the person responsible for this distressing house burglary which happened in Coronation Road in Woodthorpe at around 4.20am on Tuesday, March 1.
“The male offender ran off after he was disturbed by the victim. Officers were quickly on scene and searches were carried out in the area, including use of a police dog and handler.
“A laptop was stolen from the address and other items belonging to the victim, including a television, were found outside the house.
“Our enquiries remain ongoing to catch this offender, including checking CCTV footage, and we have also stepped up patrols in area to provide reassurance while we continue with our enquiries.
“I would urge anyone who has any information that could assist our investigation to come forward straight away.”
The suspect is described as being around 6ft tall, of slim build, and was wearing a walking-style coat, dark trousers and dark trainers.
DI Guy added: “We know burglary can have a significant and long-lasting impact on victims, both financially and emotionally, and that is why we are working hard to track down whoever committed this crime and bring them to justice.
"We want everyone to feel safe in their own homes, with minimal risk to their valuables, and we are continuing to work hard to stop burglaries from happening in the first place, including sharing crime prevention advice.
“As part of this ongoing preventative work we are urging people to check their home security and make sure they are not leaving themselves vulnerable to burglars.
“We can’t emphasise enough how important it is to keep your front and back doors are kept locked, even when you’re in the house, and that keys are not left in doors.
“Windows should also be kept locked where possible to deter burglars and sheds and outbuildings should be left secure so tools can’t be used by burglars to break into properties.
“We are also asking people to help us by acting as further eyes and ears in their areas. If you spot something suspicious and providing that you are in a safe location, try to take note of what a person is wearing, any distinctive features they have or details of the vehicle they are driving as that could help officers as a part of their investigation.”
Anyone with any information about this burglary is asked to contact the police on 101, quoting incident number 55 of 1 March 2022, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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