Christchurch residents are being warned to tighten security after a spate of burglaries in which thieves used cat-flaps to enter houses.
Four houses in Harewood and Parklands were robbed on Monday last night, and in each case the thief used a cat-flap to gain access to the house, The Press reported.
Another two burglaries where the point of entry was unknown might also have been through cat-flaps.
Sergeant Lachy Garrick said cat-flaps had "always been a risk".
"There's not much point putting them in with the door handle within a couple of feet," he said.
Police warned the number of burglaries was rising and urged people to tighten security.
Last month, a Christchurch woman had a lucky escape after an arson pushed a flaming piece of paper through a cat-flap in the door of her Brougham St retirement village unit, setting a curtain on fire.
The woman, aged in her 60s, was awoken by a smoke alarm, which police said saved her life.
