Police officers in Essex are trying to predict crimes before they happen.

The number of burglaries generally increase in November so Essex Police is trying to combat this by looking at previous trends to predict future ones.

More resources will then be put in those areas where the crimes often take place to try and beat the burglars.

Last year the technique achieved a ten per cent drop.

Officers use a map to work out priority zones.

The operation has also identified that there is an increased risk of becoming a victim of burglary if you live close to someone who has been burgled in recent weeks.

To tackle this problem Essex Police now visits a number of houses either side, and in front and behind, a property that has been broken into to warn residents.