An elderly homeowner woke up to find a man wearing a high-viz jacket in his hallway, and asked if there ‘was any scrap metal for sale’. When told there wasn’t the man quickly left.

The victim has then discovered a substantial amount of money had been removed from his wallet and an internal CCTV camera had been stolen.

The local Community Policing Team (CPT) quickly secured evidence and identified a suspect.

Working closely with Operation Fortitude they arrested a 33-year-old man from the West Midlands. He has been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.

Wiltshire Police warns that burglars are often opportunistic thieves who prey on houses and flats. They seek out any opening that they can take advantage of, specifically doors and windows that are left open or unlocked or are easy to force.

There is advice on our website about to avoid becoming a victim and we have these tips:

• Burglars target homes that they think will contain valuables. A sure giveaway is leaving packaging from expensive items outside your front door
• Burglars often look for homes with windows or doors left open or with vulnerable features that they can exploit.
• Burglars are aware of the times when someone is expected to be away from their house such as during the school run or holidays
• Burglars typically do not want to be seen or heard and if they feel that they would be noticed by a neighbour or passerby then they are more likely to feel exposed and may move on to find somewhere else to burgle
• Burglars often choose a home because they’ve spotted a specific vehicle, motorcycle or bicycle they want to steal – and the keys are more than likely to be inside the residence
• Sheds and garages are often vulnerable as they are not that secure and contain tools which the burglar can use to assist them to gain entry to a home
• It’s a fact that many burglars return to homes that they’ve previously burgled because the homeowner failed to upgrade security following the first burglary. They sometimes return to an area to try to burgle a nearby home that they spotted while committing a previous break in. Even more reason for you to ensure you keep your home as safe as houses.