Police are advising Asian women not to wear valuable and attractive gold jewellery in public.

Officers in Belgrave and Spinney Hill areas of Leicester are currently seeing an increase in reports of robbery where valuable and sentimental gold jewellery is being snatched from around the victim’s neck by suspects, usually on bicycles, who then make off at speed.

Patrols, both uniformed and plain clothed, have been stepped up in key areas to try and catch those responsible and to reassure members of the community.

To reduce the risk of becoming a victim of this sort of crime the police advise taking the following simple crime prevention measures: Do not display your jewellery in public; Be aware of what it happening around you; If you feel unsafe change direction; Use well lit, busy streets and a route you are familiar with.

Inspector 4577 Lucy Bachelor of Keyham Lane local policing unit said, “It is extremely important that people take extra precautions when wearing precious gold jewellery out in public. Not having your jewellery on show will reduce the risk of you being targeted.

“We urge anyone who is a victim of this crime to call the police immediately and equally that any witnesses do the same to give the police the best opportunity of catching the offenders.

“Even though we have increased patrols in the area, we need that quick call from the public to give us the best possible chance of catching those responsible".

“We are currently working closely with the community to raise awareness of this crime".

Crimestoppers are offering a reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for committing these robberies.

You can register your possessions for free on www.immobilise.com You can call Crimestoppers on 0800 111555 to report information anonymously.