The rising price of gold means thieves in the area are switching their attention from lifting lead and steel.
Police are warning people to be careful to make sure any gold jewellery they have is kept in a safe place because rising prices could trigger a rise in thefts.
DI Nick Evans said: “The price of gold is very high at the moment.
“When the value of steel went up because of the demand caused by construction in China leading up to the Olympics [in 2009], a lot more cars were stolen so the steel could be taken from them.”
The rise in the price of gold has been triggered by a fall in the value of the dollar, it means investors are looking to invest their money in something more stable.
