Police warn burglars: commit the crime and yule be sorry

In the run up to Christmas, police will be dropping in on some of the county’s most prolific burglars to warn them they could face a Christmas behind bars, if they break the law.

Police will make ‘disruption visits’ to 50 known criminals and will deliver Christmas cards with a stark deterrent message - ‘commit the crime and yule be sorry’.

The burglary crackdown is an operation under West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Viper which targets and restricts the illegal activity of the county’s most prolific criminals.

Superintendent Pat Casserly, who leads Viper, said: “We always take a hard line with burglary and are now seeing some big successes across the county.

“Despite these successes, we have no plans to take our foot off the pedal. This Christmas we are taking the fight back to some of West Yorkshire’s most prolific offenders and warning them once again that we know where they are and what they are up to. These cards make it crystal clear that we are watching them and are ready to take swift and robust action if they commit crimes this Christmas.”

Traditionally burglary rates increase over the festive season as darker nights make it more obvious when people are not home and opportunist thieves know many houses will be filled with gifts, food and drink.