Epping Sergeant Geoff Gauci said within the space of just a few days, police had received 10 reports about break-ins, with thieves apparently using the cover of night to target vehicles parked in quiet residential streets.

Expensive personal items, including laptop computers, have been snatched in the thefts, which may have been carried out by the same person or people.

He said the thefts were “all of a similar sort of nature”.

So far, hot-spots have included streets surrounding Smith Ave, Alfred Ave and Oxford Drive in Thomastown, and areas surrounding Vanessa Ave and Mossman Crescent in Lalor.

Sgt Gauci called on car-owners to remove valuables from their vehicles – because expensive items on display in cars were an open invitation to thieves.

“They’re not so much breaking into it for the sake of breaking into it but they can obviously see things in the cars,” Sgt Gauci said.

“They’re just smashing the window and bang, in they go, so they’re doing it as quick as they can, as fast as they can to get in and out.”

He called on residents to keep a watch out for suspicious behaviour and to listen out for sounds such as breaking glass.

The thefts have all been carried out after a car window was smashed.

“What we need is the residents to be visually alert as to what’s happening around them in the streets, number one, and number two, they might wake up at two o’clock in the morning because they hear some sort of strange noise.

“We’d like them to give us a call,” he said.

Anyone with information about the thefts – or anyone who sees people acting suspiciously around parked cars – can contact Epping Police on 9409 8100 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.