Police in Chippenham are hunting four youths who broke into two houses before going joyriding in a car they had stolen from one of the properties.

The teenagers, who are only described as wearing dark clothes, were seen breaking into properties in Cepen Park South between 1am and 2am on Monday.

They took the keys to a Saab , which they abandoned after a short time.

Sergeant Mark Gale of Chippenham Police warned householders abourt keeping their properties secure.

“I urge everyone to make sure their property is secure, especially overnight,” said Sgt Gale.

“There has been a slight increase in burglaries recently, however, we are really pleased our detection rate is nearly double our target.”

Police have said this reflected a wider issue of homeowners not securing their properties at night.

Anyone who has information on the burglaries should contact Chippenham Police on 0845 408 7000 or phone the Crimestoppers number anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you need security advice, contact crime reduction officer Dave Budd on the same number.