Rusholme suffers spate of burglaries

The break-ins took place within a 24-hour period and police say the burglary victims had not locked their windows.

Laptops and mp3 players were stolen from the homes.

The first break-in took place on Bannf Road at approximately 1pm and by the time police were made aware of the crime, houses on Crescent Range, Denison Road, and Camborne Street had also been broken into.

Sergeant Brent Jones was part of the police presence on Denison Road following the thefts. 

He said “There is a burglary problem in the area, but we have seen a dramatic decrease over the last two years thanks to a number of operations that run every day.

“Yesterday was a glitch and we do not want to see it happen again”.

Local residents and police believe that the area’s popularity with students could have made it a magnet for thieves.

Leah Hardman, who lives on Upper Park Road, said: “It worries me that as a student I am part of the group that are seen as vulnerable.

“We are given advice from police and university telling us to always lock windows and doors and hide valuables, but maybe yesterday shows some people still aren’t taking any notice”.

Mark Timpson, of Stenbury Close, said: “Burglaries happen all the time around here. 

"You can lock all your windows and keep an eye out like the police say, but they’re opportunists - unless there is a real crackdown it won’t stop”.

Rusholme and Fallowfield Neighbourhood police officers said their aims are to not only come down hard on thieves but also retrieve victims' stolen property.

Inspector Lindsay Atherton said: “A number of search warrants have been executed recently to disrupt suspected criminals and help bring them to justice. 

“We are working hard to establish where stolen property is being disposed of. I urge anyone with information on where stolen laptops or phones are being sold on locally to let us know straightaway.

“If you see a crime in progress please dial 999."

Greater Manchester Police has urged residents to report any suspicious activity or information to the Rusholme and Fallowfield Neighbourhood Policing Team on 0161 856 4423, the non-emergency number 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.