BURGLARS armed with crow bars forced their way into a property and then fled in a black Mercedes after the alarm went off.

Police are appealing for information following the attempted burglary on Tyrer Road, Newton-le-Willows on the morning of Monday, June 14.

At around 9.15am, police were called to the address to reports that a house alarm had been activated.

It was reported that two men carrying crowbars had forced entry into the property through rear patio doors.

As the alarm sounded, the burglars are said to have made off in a black Mercedes.

No items were taken from the house and no occupants were in at the time.

CCTV, forensic and witness enquiries have been carried out in the area.

The burglars have been described as in their 30s, wearing dark clothing and balaclavas.

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Anyone who witnessed this incident or has any information is asked to contact us with reference 21000414979 via @MerPolCC on Twitter, ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook, or anonymously. via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Following the incident, police have issued advice on keeping your home safe:

• Keep valuables out of sight

• In warmer weather, if you’ve opened your windows make sure you close and lock them again when out of the room

• Fit outside security lighting

• Report any suspicious people or vehicles in your neighbourhood. Many crimes are prevented and people arrested after members of the public report unusual or suspicious activity to the police

• People who have UPVC doors are reminded to fully secure them. If you simply lift the handle you will NOT fully engage all of the locks into the frame. You MUST also double lock the door using the key

• Remember to remove keys from doors once they are locked

• Don’t advertise new items you may have bought such as electrical equipment to people by leaving the empty boxes outside your home

• Try to dispose of the packaging carefully by taking it to a recycling centre or keep it out of sight until the day your rubbish is collected

• During the dark nights, use a light timing device to switch the lights on

• Don't leave your car keys on display (on window ledges/worktops) and don't leave them by doors or windows where they could be grabbed with a hook or cane

• Always check your front and back door are secure even if you are in, burglaries can often occur via insecure back doors whilst residents are at home

• Secure your shed and garage properly. Don't leave tools lying around these could be used to help offender gain entry to your home

• Register your electronics’ serial numbers on www.immobilise.com

• Back up your photographs and saved work from electronics on cloud storage or safely stored hard drives/USBs.

Further advice on how to keep your valuable safe and secure; marking your property to deter burglars, and a checklist when leaving the home can be found here: merseyside.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/.