HAMPSHIRE Constabulary has urged residents to be vigilant after a jewellery heist in Headley Down.

The advice was issued as data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlighted that burglaries in the region were on the rise.

Officers are appealing for information after approximately £4,000 of jewellery and a mobile phone were stolen from a house in Beech Hill when thieves forced a window between 6.30pm on Sunday, August 13, and 4.30pm on Monday, August 14. They are also asking residents to watch out for the missing items so that they can be returned to their owners and and the burglars brought to justice.

Among the items stolen were: a white Apple iPhone 5S, a handmande silver-and-white topaz earring and bracelet set (pictured below), a Nexus watch with gold face and brown leather strap, a yellow gold Swarovski crystal ring set, a gold-strapped dress and other items together worth thousands of pounds.

Anyone who has been offered goods or jewellery in suspicious circumstances, is being urged to contact them immediately.

Pc Pete Rees said: “The offenders have stolen a large amount of jewellery, including a very distinctive silver- and-white topaz bracelet and earring set.”

“Have you or anyone you know been offered this jewellery for sale? Do you recognise this jewellery as being for sale somewhere? If so please call Hampshire Police. Residents are reminded to be vigilant of suspicious persons in and around their property and report them to police.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting reference: 44170314145, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Recent ONS figure show that domestic burglaries have increased in Hampshire. Between March 2016 and March 2017, burglaries in Hampshire rose 14 per cent, overall, while domestic burglary rose 16 per cent – well above the national increase of 6 per cent. The survey revealed a 24 per cent spike in vehicle-related theft and a 27 per cent rise in robbery.

Nationally, only around one in 10 burglaries are solved. In Hampshire, this could be caused in part by resources stretched thinner than many senior officers would like and Hampshire Police Federation chairman John Apter has warned that budget cuts have brought the force to a “crisis point” with officers facing unprecedented strain.

The crux of the issue is, he says, that in Hampshire “there are simply not enough police officers”, and numbers have been dropping since 2010.

Fewer officers means resources must be focused on the most serious crimes. On top of this, a diminished visible police presence can embolden criminals.

Nationally, the ONS data shows recorded crime has risen 10 per cent across England and Wales, the largest annual rise for a decade.

The most worrying increase is in violent crime, which has seen an 18 per cent increase nationally. Hampshire, however, recorded only a 14 per cent increase in violent crime.

Hampshire Constabulary said however long homes will be unoccupied, residents should: “take steps to make homes look occupied. A dark home and uncollected mail is a sign that no one is home.

“Cancel milk and newspaper deliveries, use automatic timers to turn on lights in the dark, register for Royal Mail’s ‘keepsake’ service, move valuable items out of view, cut lawns and trim plants, don’t discuss holiday plans on social media and ask a trusted neighbour to watch your home, it added.