REPORTED crimes in Fairford have gone up by nine per cent over the last 12 months, with police putting the rise down to an “increase in population”.

Speaking at the town’s annual general meeting on Thursday, PCSO Bethan Callaway-Green said reported crimes had risen from 77 between May 2015 and May 2016, to 84 in the same period the following year.

“That’s kind of what we expect with the new homes being built and the increase in population in Fairford,” she said.

Having broken down the figures, she said the main culprit for the increase was a rise in thefts.

“I am sure you were aware that there was a spate of cars broken into,” she said, referring to a two-week period from March 8 when a dozen break-ins were reported to police.

This included several cars, parked on private driveways, being broken into in the early hours of March 20 in Churchill Place, Hatherop Road, Queensfield and Jefferies Close.

At the time, Inspector Karen Ellis had told the Standard: “During the course of the night, 12 motor vehicles in two weeks have been broken into and have had valuable items stolen.”

She warned car owners to ensure their cars are locked with no valuables left on display.

Following those incidents, police reviewed CCTV footage provided by local residents, which showed that four males were responsible for the March 20 break-ins.

However, the images were not of sufficient quality to provide positive identifications.

PCSO Callaway-Green, however, said “we do have some investigations which are ongoing with that”.

She went on to say that there has also been an “increase in vehicles making off from petrol stations without paying”.

“But we've got some great CCTV and we are usually able, unless they are fake plates, to locate the offenders and get them to pay up or nick them,” she said.

Praise was then aimed at the members of the Community Speed Watch volunteers in the town, who PCSO Callaway-Green said “have done a fantastic job out and about around Fairford and Quenington”.

“If you feel like you want to get involved, send me an email and I can organise a training day,” she added.