BURGLARIES in Burnley and Pendle shot up by 30 per cent over the summer - and the rise has been blamed on people leaving their homes unlocked.

But officers said that in response to 300 raids in just three months a crackdown named 'Operation Saturate' was stepped up.

So far this month there have been just four burglaries in the area.

Det Insp Martin Melvin said much of the increase was due to people leaving their front doors unlocked while watching the World Cup in another room.

Many items stolen included laptops, iPods and cars in hotspot areas including Manchester Road, Burnley.

Mr Melvin said the number of burglaries in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale in June, July and August rose from 228 to 300 from the same time last year.

He said: "We did see an increase during the summer but the vast majority of the rise was due to homes that had been left unlocked.

"In so many of the cases it was simply a case of leaving the door open while watching the World Cup.

"Because of that we had to step up to the plate and make an impact on the figures and September has seen the lowest burglary figures I think have ever been reported.

"As part of Operation Saturate we took officers from other parts of the county and put them on the streets to underline the importance of keeping your property secure."

He said that in every street where a burglary took place through an unlocked door hard-hitting leaflets were dropped at neighbours, detailing what was stolen and the importance of keeping properties secure.

September saw 59 burglaries in the three boroughs.

Mr Melvin said: "Burglary is not just a word, it can ruin people's lives.

"This summer we were up against very good weather, particularly early on, and the World Cup.

"The rise in incidents was highly frustrating but we have worked hard to bring the numbers down.

"Our advice is to ensure all windows and doors are kept locked when you leave the house and also, if you're out in the back, make sure your front is locked and vice versa."