Car keys should be kept out of sight, police are warning following a number of "two in one" burglaries on Teesside. These are where criminals break into a house and find the keys to the car, which they then steal.
Since October there have been a reported 27 break-ins where the car has also been stolen in Stockton, and some have not yet been recovered.
In most of the incidents the car keys had been left on display and could have been easily spotted through a window.
'Distressing crime'
Det Insp Kerrin Smith, from Stockton CID, said that the number of offences could be drastically reduced if people made sure their keys were kept out of view.
She said: "Householders are making it far too easy for criminals. If an opportunity of an unlocked door and keys hanging on display is presented to them they will take it.
"Burglary is one of the most distressing crimes as victims often feel violated when strangers have searched through their belongings, and when the family car is stolen it makes things twice as bad.
"I would urge people to take precautions and get into the habit of locking doors and placing keys in a secure place every time they walk into their homes, whether day or night."
One-Minute World News 
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