A CRIMEWAVE in a County Durham time has seen three businesses broken into and a spike in sneak-in burglaries.

Cash safes were targeted in three commercial premises in Newton Aycliffe in one week while several homes have been burgled and items snatched.

Hundreds of pounds were stolen from firms on Aycliffe Industrial Park on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of last week.

And one sneak-in burglary in the same week saw two cars stolen - one of which was later found burnt out.

Inspector Sarah Honeyman, of Newton Aycliffe Police, has urged residents to be vigilant but offered reassurances that one man had been arrested on suspicion of burglaries and investigations were continuing into the business break-ins.

"As a result of proactive work by the neighbourhood police team, we are working on strong lines of enquiries and a male has been arrested [yesterday] morning on suspicion of the residential burglaries," she said.

Insp Honeyman added there had been around ten burglaries across the town in the last four weeks, the majority of which saw entrance gained as a result of the property being insecure.

The crimes follow a number of thefts from vehicles and thefts of pedal cycles over the last seven weeks.

It also comes less than a month since a safe containing £20,000 was stolen from T and S Bespoke Kitchens, on the industrial estate.

Members of the public are urged to secure vehicles and homes at night.