Officers have issued a warning and have asked residents to remain vigilant
Police have warned that burglars are leaving "Christmas gnomes" in gardens - to check if anyone is home. Officers say the bearded ornaments are criminals' latest weapon to target homes.
Officers at the Flintshire North branch of North Wales Police posted a photo of a 'Christmas gnome' on social media. They are being left in gardens and if the homeowner doesn't remove it - burglars know the home is empty. The grey and bearded gnome was found by a resident of Broughton, Flintshire, in their garden. The force says that the gnomes may be used as 'calling cards' by thieves and other criminals to identify people's schedules and time spent at home.
They can then identify how likely a property is to be occupied, allowing them to attempt a break-in. A spokesperson for the Flintshire North branch of the force said: "We are aware of a report of individuals in the Broughton area leaving Christmas gnomes in residential front gardens. "This type of behaviour is sometimes used as a 'calling card' to see if the gnome is collected by the resident. If not, the property is likely to be empty and could be an easy target for burglaries.
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