POLICE are reminding car owners to keep their car keys safe and away from view following a house burglary in Snowshill.

Thieves entered a house through a secure window at the back of the building between 10.30pm on Monday January 25 and 5.30am on January 26.

Once inside they they have taken a number of sets of keys, including those for a black Volkswagen Golf, which they drove off.

Fortunately the car was fitted with a tracking device and was recovered by police the following day in Ward Road, Northleach.

The incident is one of a number that have been reported recently and Gloucestershire Constabulary's harm reduction advisor Kim Mowday was keen to remind car owners about the importance of keeping keys to vehicles out of the view of potential thieves.

"I would like to remind householders to always keep their car keys and household keys in a safe place. They should be kept far away from any door or window and not be put on a hall table or on the staircase," she said. "Please put keys in a drawer, bag or jacket pocket, out of sight from opportunist thieves who have used items such as a bamboo stick and even a fishing rod to hook keys and pull them through letterboxes."

Anyone who may have information on this incident is asked to contact Gloucestershire Police on 101, quoting incident number 56 of January 26.