Burglary Crackdown Ends In 460 Arrests

Police in Essex have arrested 460 people as part of a burglary crackdown.

76 prolific offenders were amongst those arrested during a countywide crackdown.

It was all part of Operation Girton, which started in November.

As a result, reports of burglary have fallen by 4 per cent between April, 2010 and March, 2011 compared with the same period the previous year.

Det Supt Ewen Wilson said: "Operation Girton was about Essex Police taking the game to the burglar and using any tactic lawfully available to us to remove key prolific offenders and reassure the public.''

Extra officers patrolled burglary hotspots across the county and officers used ANPR to track known offenders.

Extra search warrants were handed out and householders were continually reminded to take simple steps to secure their homes.