TEN vehicles have been stolen from driveways so far this month after a spate of car key burglaries, police have now confirmed.

July has seen 13 car key burglaries and attempted car key burglaries across the borough. Out of these 10 have been successful, with a further three suspected attempts.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said that they were not necessarily linking all of the burglaries and have not ruled out the possibility of 'copy cat' cases.

So far six out of the 10 vehicles have been recovered by police.

Last week saw two cars were stolen in the early hours of Friday morning (July 22) in the Thatto Heath area, with a white Ford Fiesta taken from a property on Clare Close and a silver Ford Kuga stolen from a driveway on Breydon Gardens.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning last week (July 20) a black VW Golf R had been taken from a drive on St James Mount, Rainhill.

In light of the burglary spate, police have stepped up security warnings to residents.

Following last week's burglaries, DC Roy Waller from St Helens CID said: "We would like to reassure the community that we are working to identify the people responsible, and locate the car.

"I would urge local residents to ensure their houses are as secure as possible and check their front doors, windows and garage doors to prevent becoming easy targets.

"It is also a good idea to leave any keys safely out of sight. Once you get into the habit of doing a quick check it doesn't take much time at all and can save you a lot of distress in the long run.

"If you have a garage use it, or if you park on a driveway ensure you close your gates at night and consider putting an obstruction such as your wheelie bin in front of your vehicle.

"Always put your car keys out of sight and never leave them in the back of your door. If possible use a steering wheel lock on your vehicle, which are unappealing to thieves looking to make a fast getaway."

He added: "These people are looking for the easiest and least confrontational way to steal a vehicle, so anything you can do to make it harder for them means you are less likely to fall victim.

"We all need to be vigilant. If you see anyone acting suspiciously report it to the police. These offenders will need to walk up driveways to look through doors and windows to see if there are keys in sight of a door or window. If you notice any such behaviour contact the police on 101 or in an emergency dial 999."