Burglaries across West Sussex and adjacent areas
There has been a series of Burglaries across the rural areas of the South East including West Sussex which span back to last summer.
Offenders have targeted large properties in rural locations and stolen property valued at tens of thousands of pounds.
Detectives from West Sussex Priority Crime team have been working closely with other neighbouring Forces to identify those responsible.
In a joint operation on Thursday May 9 officers from Sussex Police worked with colleagues from Hampshire, Surrey and the Metropolitan Police which led to the arrest of four suspects.
Officers executed a number of warrants which resulted in the seizure of a stolen vehicle and other items stolen from a recent burglary in Midhurst. A significant amount of jewellery and other items have been seized which may have been stolen. Officers are working to ensure all previous burglary victims can view the property so that it may be identified, a further press release will be made when this is available.
Sussex Police will continue to work with other Forces as more arrests are planned in the coming weeks.
Homes were targeted during daytimes when the owners were out; on the 29 April, five burglaries occurred across West Sussex from Henfield to Fernhurst and Loxwood. These offences have all resulted in charges; further charges for previous offences were also obtained.
District Commander, Tanya Jones said “We have worked hard to identify those responsible for the recent increase in burglaries and have done much to curtail their activities. We have worked with the community to ensure suspicious sightings are reported and responded to swiftly, by deploying additional officers to the area.”
DC Jon Woolley from the Priority Crime Team said 'Our investigations led us to the fact that the offenders were working across the South and our colleagues in Hampshire were also working on the same offenders. We have worked jointly with Hampshire to trace the suspects. We quickly established a link between the suspects and South East London, and arrested key members on Thursday. The investigation is on-going, and we continue to target other offenders'.
In the meantime Sussex Police are reminding people to properly secure their property. Consider window locks and alarms, and hide expensive items and jewellery.
Guy Harbord, aged 29 years, from East Dulwich in South East London, was charged on Friday with Conspiracy to commit Burglary. This charge covers 77 house burglaries across the South East, with 24 such offences across West Sussex including Chichester, Horsham and Mid Sussex. He has been remanded in custody. Others arrested in connection with these burglaries remain on Police bail.
DI Tracy Edwards of West Sussex Priority Crime Team said, “We will relentlessly pursue those who offend in Sussex and ensure through continued collaboration with other Forces, every opportunity is taken to obtain justice for victims. I would urge members of the public to continue to report suspicious sightings; the success in this investigation is in part due to members of the public providing details of suspicious vehicles promptly to Police.
Other investigations have benefited from the public discreetly photographing offenders acting suspiciously and providing these images to the Police. With help from the community we can ensure we make our neighbourhoods hostile to those wishing to cause harm.”
If you have any information which could assist Sussex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 If you see a crime in action please call 999 and request urgent Police attendance.
