ESSEX police are advising motorists to take action to reduce car thefts by thinking twice about where you keep your car keys.

Keys left lying around in sight of windows and letterboxes are prime targets for burglars on the look out for cars to steal.

And it’s not just high value, high power cars they’ve got their eye on – more mainstream functional cars have been targeted in burglaries across the county.

Thieves break into homes to steal keys and make off with vehicles parked outside. They’ve also be known to feed implements through letterboxes to hook keys left within reach.

Det Supt Ewen Wilson of Territorial Policing said: “Essex Police has a long standing and successful operation to bring burglars to justice. Between November 2010 and March 2011, 475 people were arrested as part of Operation Girton, a crackdown on serial burglars.

“Operations such as this will be even more successful in reducing burglaries if people work with us and ensure they are not easy targets for criminals.”

Top tips to keep your car safe:

• If possible, keep your car in a garage

• Always make sure your house is secure before you go to bed by locking all doors and windows.

• Don’t leave keys lying around, particularly in view of a window or letterbox.

Think about where you store your cars. Hooks and kitchen doors are obvious places for thieves to look.

• If you have a UPVC front door or other door with a multi-locking system make sure you lock it properly by lifting the handle and turning the key.

• Set your house alarm at night if you have one.

• If you have a high value car you might like to think about fitting a tracker. This may help reduce your insurance premiums too.

• If you lock your car using a key fob, checked it has actually locked as a faulty fob, low battery or someone blocking the signal could stop this happening.

• If you believe you have an intruder in your home or attempting to get into your home dial 999 immediately. Don’t put yourself at risk.