Vigilant residents have teamed up with police to clamp down on burglaries in response to a spike in the crimes in a cluster of Highgate streets.

Thieves targeted homes in the Haringey half of Highgate almost once every two days over a three-month period this year, focusing on the group of roads known as The Miltons.

The number has risen compared with the same period last year, in contrast to a decrease in burglaries across the whole of Haringey over the last 12 months. The spike prompted Pc Allan Greig, dedicated ward officer for Highgate, to work with neighbourhood watch groups in The Miltons to raise awareness of burglary prevention techniques.

On Monday, he invited a master locksmith to speak to about 40 residents about how they can make their homes more secure by installing robust locks.

Pc Greig said: “We want people to know that they need to think about not only their front doors but their rear security as well. On the Parkland Walk, you can see into a lot of people’s back gardens in The Miltons, they are very open.

‘‘We are asking residents to check their home security and if they feel they need advice, to contact us. These things really do help reduce crime.”

Between March and June there were 39 reported burglaries in Haringey’s Highgate ward, compared with 28 carried out in the same period last year.

Since the spike in burglaries was reported by Pc Greig at a ward panel meeting last month, his team has increased patrols, and carried out inspections of properties.

Christine Nickles, neighbourhood watch co-ordinator for Milton Road, said: “We are all conscious that burglaries are an ever-present possibility, so the deterrent factor is very important. Prevention is better than the cure, of course.”

Contact Pc Greig at HaringeyHighgate.SNT@met.police.uk for advice.