Alarmingly this tidal wave of property crime appears to be increasing with substantial losses being reported by householders and businesses.

One of the most serious incidents occurred early on Tuesday with many thousands of dollars of property stolen in a brazen break in at a home in Sandford Avenue.

The break in occurred while a family was sleeping.

Thieves have forced a rear window to gain access and have removed jewellery, a computer, telephone and other items.

They had removed the screens from several windows before forcing their way into the living area.

The intruders have also found a set of keys that they used to steal the family car from a garage adjacent to the house.

Police said the missing vehicle was a luxury late model black Holden Calais bearing the registration number AH46ZH.

In a similar incident the same night there was an attempted break in at Fullagar Avenue, Bowenfels.

Again the members of the family were asleep when an intruder alarm in the garage was activated shortly after 1 am.

The intruder fled empty handed when the family investigated.

The previous night a garage at another home in Fullagar Avenue was broken into and an electric guitar and two PlayStation consoles stolen.

The thief is believed to have been disturbed while making his escape and dumped the stolen property over the back fence of a neighbour’s home.

Also in the early hours of Tuesday a garage at a home in Inch Street was broken into and a mountain bike and back-pack stolen.

Police said the thief entered the backyard through a rear gate.

Last week thieves from Sydney’s Western Suburbs travelled to Portland specifically to carry out burglaries in the early hours of Friday morning.

They broke into a number of homes and garages and loaded their haul of household goods, small excavator equipment and trail bikes into a trailer and a second stolen ute.