Homeowners have been warned to look out for new tricks being used by thieves to mark their targets.

A bunch of stones scattered over your drive or a line of red chalk on the curb doesn't sound like something to worry about but it could they be secret signs that your home is about to be robbed.

This week, it emerged that thieves have been leaving strips of sellotape over keyholes to find out whether the occupants are on holiday.

If the tape is still there after a few days, then criminals can assume that the door hasn't been used and the owner is away.

This tactic has become prominent in Dublin, but homeowners across the UK are being warned to be extra vigilant.

But the sellotape trick isn't the only one being used by criminals to target unsuspecting householders.

Here are some of the others:

ODD ROAD MARKINGS

Strange chalk markings on the pavement outside your house could be a sign that your dog is being targeted by thieves.

The trick is used by thieves to signal that a lucrative breed may reside at the home.

Red chalk marks are supposedly used to indicate large dogs, while yellow and pink marks refer to medium and small dogs.

The practice has been used around the country, including in Greater Manchester.

CLOTHES ON YOUR WINDSCREEN

If you come back to your vehicle and find a shirt draped over the windscreen then it could be a warning sign that a criminal is about to strike.

In a case in the US, a girl feared she was being targeted by kidnappers when she found a shirt on her car after a shift at work.

The theory is that when the driver gets out to remove the item under their windshield wipers the criminals can strike.

ROCKS ON YOUR DRIVEWAY

Police in Bristol have warned people that while stones have been placed on driveways to mark homes which are occupied by easy targets.

As well as leaving stones outside homes, police same criminals leave stones under the tyres of cars to act as a test of homeowner activity.

STICKERS ON BINS

Crooks have also said to have used wheelie bins to mark homes by slapping a sticker on the side of a bin outside a target.

The markings are thought to provide potential housebreakers details about the building, such as whether it is a good target or has an alarm.