Householders are being advised to help fool burglars into thinking they are at home by using timers to make lights or radios switch on.

The Dark Nights campaign started in Hinckley on Monday, when police and other members of the Hinckley and Bosworth Community Safety Partnership called on houses in the Tudor Road area.

They called at the first 20 houses they found in darkness and posted vouchers for free timers.

During the next few weeks, 4,000 advice leaflets will be given out across south Leicestershire, coverHinckley and Bosworth, Blaby, Harborough and Oadby and Wigston.

Inspector Rich Ward, commander of Hinckley and Bosworth police, said: "You can buy a timer for around £2 in a DIY store, and they could save you the heartache and cost of clearing up after a burglary.

"Lights which are visible from the front of the house give the impression that someone is at home, and this impression is strengthened if you also have a radio switched on.

"Why not use a low-energy bulb, which will minimise the cost of electricity you use and the impact on the environment?"

Cutting burglaries is one of the top priorities for Hinckley police. In the six months from April 1 to the end of September, they dropped by nearly 30 per cent, from 239 to 169.