Households were hit by almost five burglaries a day in Barking and Dagenham, figures reveal.

Police urged burglary victims to keep records of their valuables as latest figures showed residential break-ins had increased by 16.8 per cent to 1,810 in the borough in the 12 months to November 2012.

Burglaries in London overall fell by 1.2 per cent, the Met figures reveal.

Detectives asked householders to keep their home secure and keep photos of jewellery on disc.

Police issued burglary protection advice after figures published in December also revealed there had been 42 reported thefts of Asian gold at homes in Barking and Dagenham last year.

Det Sgt Lee Osborne, of Barking and Dagenham burglary squad, said: “If you own or store quantities of valuable jewellery in your home it is vital that you keep a photographic record.

“If you value it please photograph it, save the pictures to disc and put the disc away safely.

“I hope you never need to use it, but if your items are stolen you will have a much better chance of them being returned to you if police know what the items look like.”

Residential burglary increased from 1,549 in November 2011 to 1,810 in November 2012, which is equivalent to 4.9 break-ins a day in Barking and Dagenham.

However, business break-ins fell by 14 per cent over the same period from 735 to 636, the Met police statistics show.

Barking and Dagenham Police said that burglary overall had increased by eight per cent and stressed that crime overall in the borough had fallen by six per cent.

Det Insp Darren Richards, of Barking and Dagenham burglary and robbery squad, said: “These figures are subject to constant change.

“While there is no way to establish a root cause for the increase in burglary, there are a number of contributory factors to consider such as ineffective home security, locks not being properly used and habitual burglars coming into or through the area.

“Robbery crime in Barking and Dagenham currently shows the biggest reduction in the Met.

“My officers conduct proactive operations and targeted patrols in order to identify and arrest burglars. These initiatives will continue into the coming year supported by further home security campaigns and crime prevention initiatives.”

Anyone with information about a break-in is urged to call the Barking and Dagenham burglary squad on 020 3276 1045 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.