BURGLARS are forcing open front doors and swiping keys in a bid to steal cars, police have warned.

Three cars, including a Bentley, were driven off from driveways in a six day crime spree.

In one incident, a homeowner in Southview Drive, Westcliff, was woken up in the early hours of the morning to the sound of someone forcing open their front door.

The millennium burglaries took place between Tuesday, May 17 and Monday, May 23.

On the last day of the spree a door in Osborne Road, Westcliff, was forced open.

A Ralph Lauren purse worth £80, bank cards and a rucksack were stolen.

Six days earlier a grey Volkswagen Polo was stolen from outside a house in Fernleigh Drive, Chalkwell.

A black Bentley Continental GT was stolen on the same night from outside home in Thorpe Esplanade, Thorpe Bay.

The front door of a home in South Crescent, Southend, was forced open the following day, before thieves stole a blue Ford Focus.

A Renault Clio was stolen from North Avenue, Southend, after a break-in during the early hours of Thursday, May 19

In the Southview Drive incident, a man was seen leaving the scene in a tall, estate-size car.

The crimes are referred to as millennium burglaries because it was around the year 2000 when stolen cars became impossible to sell on without a set of keys.

Chief Insp Simon Anslow, Southend district commander, has urged people to make sure their homes are secures in light of the crime spree.

He said: “It’s safe to say I am concerned by the number of overnight burglaries we have been having and the cars that have been stolen.

“There is a common theme of the front door being forced but the type of cars being taken doesn’t necessarily support the idea of a single organised team, because who steals a Bentley and then a Clio?

“In relation to home safety and security, particularly if you have UPVC doors, I would encourage people to make sure they are double locked and secure.

“I would encourage people to look at our website about how to secure their home and would welcome people to call with information or if they have witnessed any suspicious activity.

“We would like to catch these people and bring them to justice.”

Anyone with information can call Essex Police on 101.