FESTIVE thieves have tarnished the Christmas spirit following a spate of house burglaries and attempted break-ins across Lowestoft.The hunt for burglars responsible for a spate of break-ins at homes in the town - which now nearly numbers 70 since October 27 - is continuing, with police chiefs this week calling on the assistance of householders in Lowestoft to help them catch the crooks in the act.

FESTIVE thieves have tarnished the Christmas spirit following a spate of house burglaries and attempted break-ins across Lowestoft.

The hunt for burglars responsible for a spate of break-ins at homes in the town - which now nearly numbers 70 since October 27 - is continuing, with police chiefs this week calling on the assistance of householders in Lowestoft to help them catch the crooks in the act.

In one such incident, a family home was targeted just days before Christmas, making it a heartbreaking festive period for the owners after burglars escaped with a 46-inch TV, a DVD, a games console, jewellery, wallets and purses containing cash, an iPod and a quantity of DVDs.

The house in Westwood Avenue was targeted by thieves between 7pm and 11.20pm last Tuesday.

With more police patrols being carried out and officers believing there are several prolific burglars once again at large in the town, a new SmartWater scheme was launched by police in Kirkley earlier this month to help the burglary crackdown.

And Det Chief Insp Jim Keeble told The Journal: 'This (burglary) is a crime that affects people as much as any other - it is the loss and invasion of someone's personal property that is often the most distressing. Being a victim of burglary is really traumatic - but I can assure the people of Lowestoft and Waveney that this is being afforded the time and effort of many officers to stop this from happening.'

Given that the dark nights now draw in much earlier, officers have called on local residents to help with crime preventative measures to beat the burglars. This week they renewed appeals for anyone noticing any suspicious behaviour to call police immediately using 999 and are urging residents to make their homes look occupied by putting their lights on timers or leaving on lights if you are not at the property.

Any information on the burglaries should be directed to Lowestoft CID on 01986 835300.