Officers give out crime prevention advice as they continue to ramp up efforts to tackle family gold burglary in Greater Manchester

Over this weekend, with numerous celebrations for the Chinese New Year, there will be further proactive patrols in and around the City Centre.

Family Burglaries often happen around religious or cultural festivals, weddings and special occasions so be extra careful around these times.

We know this weekend will be a busy time of year and people will be out celebrating, and we would like to give people crime prevention advice to help us to help you to keep yourself and your property safe.

Family gold is usually high purity, high-value gold jewellery – often bought as gifts, it is passed down through generations which hold significant sentimental value.

Offenders are committing these burglaries in teams of two or three and usually entering the properties through open windows, forcing or smashing their way in.

Detective Superintendent Alicia Smith who leads GMP’s Operation Castle, said: “We know this weekend will be a special time of the year for many, but we also know that criminals may use this as an opportunity to target homes to steal valuable items from families.

“Burglary is a very intrusive crime and not only does the theft of gold jewellery affect people financially, but these items often hold a lot of sentimental value too, having been passed down through generations.

“We are doing all we can by ensuring that we have proactive patrols in hotspot areas across Greater Manchester, but as always, the support of our communities is vital in helping us bring these people to justice and preventing this type of crime.

"Please be discreet when wearing jewellery in public to avoid attracting unwanted attention and make sure your insurance is up to date and keep a written record of all your Jewellery. Take photographs for insurance and recovery purposes.

"Ensure jewellery is property marked with an appropriate product for use on jewellery. Any jewellery with a unique serial number can be registered for free at www.immobilise.com.

“If you’re heading out, remember to ensure doors and windows are locked, and remove any objects from outside your property that could potentially be used to break windows to gain entry. Tell your neighbours when you are out for the evening.

“Please contact us if you see anyone acting suspiciously in your area, or if you know anything about burglary and the subsequent sale of stolen goods.”

Further crime prevention advice and how to keep your property safe from criminals can be found here: Crime prevention advice | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)