Police warning over shed thefts in Derby
Free alarms are being offered to people in areas of Derby that have seen an increase in shed burglaries.
Over the past two years more than 1,000 sheds have been broken into and thousands of pounds of goods stolen.
The Derby Community Safety Partnership is distributing the alarms to residents who are most at risk.
Spokesman Craig Keen said 800 free burglar alarms will be distributed. The hardest-hit areas for breaks-ins include Alvaston and the Morley Estate.
Sgt David Simmonds, of Derbyshire Police, said sheds are often targeted "for high value equipment that can be easily sold on the black market".
"They [the alarms] are therefore effective as a deterrent and also often lead to arrest and prosecution as the alarms have alerted neighbours who have called the police," he said.
"Therefore a £5 alarm could turn out to the best money spent this summer and simple measures are often the most effective.