Burglars are using secret symbols to target homes, Brits have been warned.
It comes as a family noticed a suspicious mark on a tree outside their home. Dyas later they were targeted by a 'Grand Theft Auto '-style gang who stole three cars. Part of the tree bark had been 'scratched off or burned' at the base, sparking fears it could have been a so-called burglar sign.
The secret symbols, dubbed the 'Da Pinci Code' are used to mark properties worth targeting. This could be because the homeowners have expensive cars or dogs that prove lucrative to crooks.
While usually left in chalk, the markings on the tree outside the Sandwell family's home could be connected to the thefts of the Audi, BMW and Mercedes during the early hours of August 9. One of the victims has now warned people to be on their guard.
This suspicious mark appeared on a tree outside a family's home (Birmingham Live)He told BirminghamLive: "We found a suspicious mark on the tree outside of our house, I don't know if they used that to mark out our house or anything. We first noticed that about a week before, it was like they scratched off a load of bark, or burnt the tree slightly at the bottom. It's directly outside the drive."
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The victim continued: "We thought it was a bit weird but we thought nothing of it. It was an odd mark, we can't 100 per cent confirm if this was associated with the crime or not though."
Markings have raised concern for some time, with Devon and Cornwall Police previously sharing an image of signs people should look out for. Information shared by the force revealed a cross symbol highlighted a 'good target', while a circle with a cross through it could imply a house has nothing worth stealing.
Other markings that have been previously reported are a triangle symbol being used to show a single woman who lives in the property on her own, or vertical lines that could imply a house has obvious valuables inside. Also keep an eye out for the letter ‘M’, which tells other burglars to strike in the morning, whereas ‘N’ means a night-time intrusion.
The Safeguarding Hub - which shares home protection advice and information across the UK - previously said: "Between us, we have a fairly extensive knowledge of burglary. We have spent many hours speaking to distraught victims, visiting crime scenes and dealing with burglars. We have actually seen and experienced these symbols being used by criminals. This is not to say that this is a common practice between bands of thieves, for most burglars work alone.
"We do not want to scaremonger and we can say confidentially that the use of these symbols is very rare. But, if you are a caregiver to an elderly or vulnerable person and spot strange marks outside their home, do you really want to dismiss it out of hand without just ensuring that the symbol is legitimate?"
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