POLICE are urging homeowners to be careful where they leave their keys after cars worth more than £50,000 were stolen in Colchester burglaries.

Two unrelated break-ins in one night has prompted officers to issue the warning.

At about 2.45am on Sunday, burglars took a Mercedes ML280, worth about £30,000, from the driveway of a house in Scott Drive, Lexden.

The keys had been left just inside the front door, and the culprit simply poked something through the letterbox and hooked the keys out, before driving off in the car.

Also in the early hours of Sunday morning, a BMW car was stolen from Mercers Way, Colchester.

The burglars forced their way through a door and stole the keys to the car, which had been left in an obvious location, as well as some jewellery and a laptop. The overall haul was worth £21,185.

While detectives are keen to stress they do not believe the two offences are linked, Det Sgt Gavin Watson, from Colchester CID, is keen to prevent further incidents.

He said: “Fortunately, this type of crime has never been a common occurrence in the Colchester area.

“Traditionally, it has been an issue more associated with the south of Essex.

“However, we want to prevent these incidents becoming the start of something more.”

He advised residents to take precautions to ensure car keys were not an easy target.

Det Sgt Watson added: “It can be as simple as putting your keys in a drawer, or putting them away elsewhere.

“We cannot stress enough that leaving keys on hall tables, or on a hook beside the door, is an invitation to any burglar.”

Anyone with information about the burglaries is urged to contact the burglary and robbery investigation team on 0300 3334444.

For crime prevention advice, contact Colin Stiff at Colchester police station on the same number.