Police have issued crime prevention advice after a man was spotted in the garden of a Potters Bar home.

Officers were called at 1am on Friday, April 6, to reports that a man had entered the rear garden of a home in Sunnybank Road.

A police spokeswoman said officers searched the area but no-one was found.

Nothing was taken and no attempt was made to break in, she added.

It comes after the latest police figures showed that burglaries increased by 64 per cent between December last year and February 2018, compared to the same period a year earlier.

•More: Burglaries soar 64% in Potters Bar

Following the incident Herts Constabulary issued the following crime prevention advice:

•Walking on gravel is noisy, so can help to deter intruders.

•Thorny plants or trellis on top of perimeter fences will help to deter intruders.

•Front boundaries (hedges, trees and shrubs) shouldn’t exceed 1m in height (usually windowsill height); unless they are metal railings which allow natural vision through.

•Side and rear boundaries should be a minimum of 1.8m in height. If it’s above 2m, planning permission may be needed. An additional diamond style trellising is difficult to climb and gives a framework for spiky plants like climbing roses.

•An anti-climbing topping on gates, such a decorative spearhead design, make it difficult for them to be climbed over.

•Wooden side gates and driveway gates should be secured on the inside with two substantial hasp and staples with closed shackle padlocks, one towards the top and one towards the bottom, to reduce leverage.