AN effort to clamp down on burglaries in Wirral has proven “very successful” – but residents have been warned about criminals using high-tech car theft devices.

The operation by Merseyside Police, which saw a number of arrests in the Wirral South constituency area, came after an increase in break-ins was reported in areas like Heswall, Pensby and Irby.

Speaking at the Wirral South Constituency Committee on Wednesday, PCSO Phil Roberts said: “It proved very successful.

"We had a few arrests. We needed luck sometimes, but after those arrests it slowed right down.

“The task force put in place did their job. We used social media to get the message over about not becoming a victim – the basic things like closing garage doors and protecting your keys. It was about the coming together with other agencies to get the message out there. But we are still actively looking and targeting people.”

Responding to PCSO Roberts’ words, Cllr Phil Gilchrist, ward member for Eastham, said members of the committee had also been approached recently by residents saying their car was taken by criminals using high-tech devices.

It’s often known as a “relay attack”, and criminals do this by using electronic signal devices to infiltrate key-less entry systems.

Official advice is to not leave car keys in a place that devices can easily tap into the signal they produce, and instead to leave them in a metal tin or the microwave, as the signal cannot get through metal.

Speaking at the meeting, which took place at Heswall Day Centre on Wednesday, Cllr Gilchrist said: “I’m grateful to hear some of the action taken has been successful but all of us need to alert people to this type of practice.

“I’m not into technology so scanning devices that pick up keys are news to me. I hope people can put things away safely as sometimes we are our own worst enemies.”