Crime spree on Hampton Road: students targeted in recent break-ins

A Bristol student house was broken into on Friday night, 30^th May, on Hampton Road, the third incident on the popular student road in the last month.

Several individuals are understood to have broken the door down and stolen a number of items including laptops.

A friend of the occupants who wished to remain anonymous told The Tab “no one was in the house when it was being burgled. According to police they watch the house for a few days and learn when people are in and when they are out, and then wait for everyone to leave before they strike”.

Hampton Road has seen a spate of break-ins in recent weeks.

The front door of the property was knocked in and laptops, iPods, tablets and car keys were taken before the intruders left via another exit.

This is understood to be at least the third break in on Hampton Road this month, each resulting in several thousand pounds worth of stolen goods. The spree has come as a shock to many students living in the otherwise quiet and relatively crime free area of Redland.

An earlier break in occurred on the 9^th May, although police have not yet confirmed whether Friday’s incident might be linked to the earlier break ins.

Another student house suffered two attempted break ins before the group finally succeeded in raiding the house while it was empty.

Although Bristol students consider Redland to be a relatively safe area, this is not the first time Hampton Road has been victim of a large number of break ins. With expensive laptops, gadgets, regular late nights out and a notoriously casual attitude to security, students are unfortunately fairly easy prey for robberies by such semi-organised lowlifes.

The May 9^th robbery alone is reported to have led to tens of thousands of pounds of losses to the students. One second year Social Policy resident said: ‘When we got in we noticed that the TV had gone and proceeded to check our rooms and they’d taken most of our valuables!’

‘They took six laptops, four tablets, one bike, two watches, headphones and two sets of car keys and one car! […] After we called the police they came and took details but they haven’t found anything.’

Fortunately at least one of the victims was able to see a hint of a silver lining…

Avon and Somerset Police offer this advice if you discover a burglary has taken place:

If you do enter the property or you discover the burglary once inside:

• Do not move items which have been touched or moved, especially around the area where the burglar entered the property.
• Do not cover obvious marks.
• Try not to walk on floors the offender walked on.

Although you may be tempted to do all of the above, by following the advice you can help to preserve evidence which may help catch the suspect.