BURGLARS are breaking into Newham houses which appear unoccupied, hoping to find one of the many cannabis factories uncovered in the borough this year.

Police are warning residents to take steps to ensure their properties look lived in when they go out by switching lights or radios on and opening curtains to stop their homes being targeted.

The warning comes in the light of an increase in residential burglary which police intelligence suggests is down to opportunist criminals hoping to cash in on a large cannabis find.

Over 160 factories producing the potent skunk strain of cannabis have been found in rented houses in Newham so far this year and police believe the publicity surrounding the scale of the problem has stimulated the escalation in residential burglary.

Those who run the factories, who are believed to be associated with Vietnamese criminal gangs involved in human trafficking, had been taking steps to ward off burglars by setting dangerous traps.

Buckets of bleach above doorways and electric shock booby traps have been found in some premises.

Police are also appealing for help from the public to sniff out cannabis factories in the borough.

Anyone who suspects a premises is being used for the production of drugs is asked to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.