Staffordshire Moorlands residents urged to secure property after spate of burglaries

Staffordshire Police are urging people to check their homes and valuables are secure following recent reports of burglaries in the Staffordshire Moorlands area.

Around 20 burglaries or attempted burglaries have taken place in the last month, with suspects targeting vehicles, car keys, jewellery and cash.

Officers have increased their patrols in the area and so far, two people have been arrested in connection with thefts.

Two cars and two motorbikes have also since been recovered along with a quad bike and a van.

A cement mixer, which had been stolen in one of the burglaries has also since been recovered and returned to the owner.

Most recently, four men attempted to break into the rear of a house off Gorsty Hill Road in Upper Tean at about 3am on 29 December 2025, before they were spooked and left the scene in a white vehicle.

The suspects in the Upper Tean attempted burglary were wearing tracksuits, gloves and balaclavas or bandanas. One of the individuals is believed to have been wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. Another one was wearing a baseball cap.

Inspector Karen Cooke, of the Moorlands local policing team, said: “We are working hard to disrupt this criminality and continue to remind people of the importance of keeping their vehicle keys and high-value items secure and out of sight.

“We know that burglaries have a significant impact on people and our communities, that’s why we are determined to do all we can to keep people safe.”

In order to deter potential burglars from accessing your home and valuables, we advise that before leaving home, you:

• close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes
• double-lock any door
• make sure that any valuables are out of sight
• keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening
• never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways
• in the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on
• if you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night
• set your burglar alarm
• make sure the side gate is locked
• lock your shed or garage
• lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor