FOUR houses in a County Durham village were burgled last night.

In the space of two hours thieves targeted car keys are four properties in Sedgefield and got away with two vehicles.

Homes in Whitehouse Drive, The Leas, Hornby Avenue and The Meadows were all burgled between 8.15pm and 10.15pm on Thursday.

At Whitehouse Drive thieves gained access through an unlocked front door and took the keys to a Vauxhall Corsa, though that vehicle was not stolen.

Two sets of keys were taken in Hornby Avenue and a Citreon and Ford Ranger were snatched.

A person was disturbed in the front porch of a house in The Leas and made off with a set of house keys. The remote control for a garage door was stolen from a house in The Meadows.

PC John Seymour, of Sedgefield neighbourhood police team, said each break-in was the result of people leaving doors unlocked and vehicle keys within easy reach. PC Seymour said: "Opportunist thieves can strike anywhere and at any time but they can be thwarted by simple measures. Keep doors locked and don’t leave possessions on open view."

He appealed for anyone in the area between 8pm and 10.30pm who may have seen people behaving suspiciously to contact Durham police on 0345-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.