Newham police are urging the Asian community to celebrate safely as part of its Autumn nights campaign.

The mesasge from the Metropolitan Police is: “Don’t let burglars ruin your celebrations”.

Over the next few weeks popular festivals such as Navratri and Diwali will be marked across London with many thousands of families coming together. It is also the time of year when there is an increase in burglaries largely due to more gold and jewellery being present in Hindu, Sikh and other households.

Police say they have noticed increases in thefts from homes between October and January.

To help reduce the amount of burglaries of this kind the Metropolitan Police Service is urging residents to take measures to protect their homes and themselves. Throughout the year and in particular during religious festivals they are asking people to keep vigilant and make sure their homes and possessions are secure.

In addition to offering crime prevention advice the Met has been working to identify and pursue suspects believed to have been involved in stealing from peoples’ homes.

Borough Commander Det Supt Rob Jones said: “Unfortunately we do see more burglaries at this time of year. These important festivals are a time of celebration for tens of thousands of people in our communities - don’t let a burglar spoil the enjoyment.

“While suspects are being arrested and put before the courts for breaking into people’s homes, we do urge people to take some simple, but effective measures to reduce the chances of them becoming a victim.”