Gardaí say their efforts to tackle winter crime saw burglaries fall by almost a quarter for November and December last year.

There was a rise in burglaries for a number of months up to October, but gardaí say the trend was reversed with the launch of the winter phase of Operation Thor in November.

They say planned 'targeted enforcement and preventative activity' has been taking place to prevent potential thieves exploiting the reduced daylight hours between November and April.

Since the beginning of November, the level of burglaries reported nationally decreased by 23%.

The biggest drop in crime was in the South East, with 40% less burglaries reported in December compared to October.

Gardaí say Operation Thor has seen 10 recent arrests, while the overall Operation Thor in  has resulted in a total of 155 criminal convictions since its launch in 2015.

The force is advising people to 'lock up and light up' as most burglaries occur between 5pm and 11pm in winter months, adding that they are working to 'prevent burglaries happening in the first place'.

John O’Driscoll, Assistant Commissioner with Special Crime Operations, said: "We are particularly aware of the vulnerability of older people for whom a burglary can be a very traumatic experience and we are determined to identify and apprehend those who exploit their vulnerability.

"The positive start to the Winter Phase of Operation Thor is encouraging and we intend achieving more success throughout the remaining months.”

Gardaí say the operation has seen a 30% reduction in burglaries since its introduction in November 2015.