Officers have urged carers, relatives and neighbours to be extra vigilant because it is often the elderly or less mobile people who use key safes to allow carers or family members access to their homes.
Superintendent Trevor Margenout, who leads Avon and Somerset Police’s fight against doorstep crime, said: “We would like people to be extra careful when using the safes.”
“Make sure that if you are going to install one it is placed in a discreet location, so that it can’t be easily seen by passers by and they can’t see the combination number being entered.”
A key safe is a secure metal box which can be secured next to a door. A single copy of a key is placed inside but can only be retrieved by someone who knows the correct code to open the box.
