BASINGSTOKE'S police chief has praised The Gazette's Burglary - Let's Beat It campaign for helping his officers cut the number of burglaries in the town.

Superintendent Paul Netherton (pictured above) said the number of burglaries has dropped markedly during the last year when police caught five prolific burglars and The Gazette launched its campaign.

"Both the burglary campaign and continuing police operations against burglaries in Basingstoke have meant that we have dramatically reduced the number of houses being broken into," said the area police chief.

He added: "This year, as we have already shown in The Gazette, we have been very successful at putting these prolific offenders behind bars and we hope to continue this with anybody who commits crime in Basingstoke.

"Burglary is not only about people having things stolen, it's also about their homes and lives being violated."

The Gazette's Burglary - Let's Beat It campaign began in January, when police figures showed 10 homes, on average, were being burgled in Basingstoke every week.

The campaign has aimed to help reduce the number of burglaries, to raise awareness of the benefits of Neighbourhood Watch schemes and improve home security in preventing burglaries, to campaign for justice for the victims of burglars and to help give those victims a voice, and show how readers can help police bring burglars to book.

Since its launch, it has provided security tips, warning residents to make sure they keep their houses locked even when at home, and encouraging property marking so that the police can easily identify stolen goods.

It has also set up a burglary hotline straight to detectives in Basingstoke's burglary team.

In the summer, the team virtually wiped out burglaries by arresting five of the town's worst offenders, and officers have kept the crime rate low by continuing to detect burglars and people who handle stolen goods.

Gazette editor Mark Jones said: "When we launched our campaign at the start of 2003, the key aim was to help reduce burglaries. We are pleased that Supt Netherton feels the campaign has had a positive effect and The Gazette and our sister free paper, The Basingstoke Extra, will continue to support ongoing police efforts to target those involved in burglary or burglary-related crime."

Anyone who has any information about burglaries should call the burglary hotline on 0779 2416786.