ANDOVER police say they are extremely concerned about the level of car crime on Andover's estates.

Over the past two weeks, dozens of cars have been broken into and thousands of pounds worth of property has been stolen.

Det Sgt Jerry Brierley said: "Clearly we are very, very concerned about this. What started as some one-off opportunist crimes has now developed into something more serious."

Officers are warning car owners against leaving valuables on display, especially at night. "It can attract unwanted attention and they are urging residents not to buy 'quality' goods offered at 'cheap prices'.

Det Sgt Brierley said: "We know there is a considerable amount of valuable stolen property circulating within the town and there must be people who have been offered good quality goods for very cheap prices.

"If anybody has been offered such goods in these circumstances, I would urge them not to buy them and ask the question 'how can I buy something so valuable so cheaply?'

"Anyone who buys these goods leaves themselves open to a charge of handling stolen goods and I would also urge them in the strongest possible terms to contact the police if approached."

Det Sgt Brierley added: "If anybody thinks they know who is responsible, and we are convinced this is somebody local, share your suspicions with us, and if necessary, do so anonymously."

The car crimes include one in Chestnut Avenue on Thursday night when the front window of a Volkswagen car was smashed to steal a black torch, causing £200 worth of damage. The same night a Ford Mondeo parked in Chaucer Avenue was also broken into causing £100 worth of damage.

At Eardley Avenue on Thursday night a Nissan vehicle's offside window was smashed but nothing was taken. On Saturday night a Peugeot 205 car in Lowry Court was broken into and a stereo and CDs worth £195 taken.

Anyone concerned about identifying the people responsible can call the confidential Crimestoppers number on 0800 555111.