Householders in Kenilworth are being encouraged to "take sensible measures" to deter criminals following a "rise in crime" across the town last week.

Kenilworth Watch said it is "concerned" at the spike in crimes and has encouraged locals to "please be vigilant and avoid being a victim of crime".

Several incidents have occurred in the town over the past few days including attempted vehicle thefts and break ins.

Overnight on Wednesday 28 May, someone smashed the driver's side window of a blue Kia on Hyde Road, removed the door handle and then damaged the vehicle's ignition system and steering column.

At around 3am the night before, a premises on Warwick Road was broken into and a "number of hairdressing items" were stolen.

Between 4pm on Wednesday and 10.15am on Thursday 29 May someone entered an "insecure" blue Audi Q3 motor vehicle at Waverley Road and "made an untidy search". Cordless power tools including a mower and strimmer plus batteries were stolen.

Overnight on Wednesday thieves broke into a house on Caesar Road, stole the keys to a blue Skoda Fabia and then stole the car.

Burglars also tried to force open the door to a house on Fishponds Road and smashed a rear window at a house on Mill End, before entering the property and making an "unitdy search".

"It is not known at this stage, what, if anything, has been stolen," Kenilworth Watch.

There were also burglaries on Leyes Lane between 6pm on Thursday and 1.30pm on Friday, and on Glasshouse Lane at some point between Wednesday and Friday.

A Skoda Fabia was also stolen from Ilam Park after the thieves broke into a home and took the keys as well as a quantity of cash.

Kenilworth Watch said: "There are three main elements that make a real difference, anti snap locks (deters burglary and entry to homes), visible steering locks and faraday boxes/pouches that block vehicle key signals (deters/prevents vehicle theft)."