Police have visited more than 400 homes at burglary hotspots to tackle Christmas crime. 

Officers from the Amersham, Chesham, Iver and Taplow Neighbourhood Policing teams visited burglary hotspots on Wednesday, December 7 ahead of Christmas. 

They conducted burglary patrols around Gerrards Cross as part of Operation Grotto, a Thames Valley Police initiative in South Bucks to reduce and prevent burglaries during the festive season.

The force said on X (formerly known as Twitter): “Over 400 houses were visited, with residents spoken to or left with our Op Grotto letter.”

Alongside patrols, police will also utilise “enhanced intel gathering to see more arrests of offenders,” the force said.

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Seasonal crime data showed a “habitual rise” in burglaries during the period leading up to Christmas, Thames Valley Police said.

Burglary remains a top concern for residents in Amersham and the Chalfonts, a recent Neighbourhood Policing survey revealed.

In Chesham and the village, speeding was the biggest concern.

Last year, burglaries peaked in November in the Chiltern and South Bucks Area overall.

In Amersham and Chalfonts, burglary continues to be voted “as one of the highest priorities,” although burglary numbers have reduced slightly year-on-year.

This year until September, there were 27 residential burglaries in Amersham (18 percent reduction) and 35 in the Chalfonts (3 percent reduction).