The first three months of this year saw the number of home burglaries drop by a quarter, according to Gardaí.

Investigators have credited the drop to the implementation of the winter phase of Operation Thor.

Operation Thor is an ongoing Garda strategy targeting organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement.

The winter phase of the operation was launched at the end of October and continued until March.

Gardaí said there were 43% fewer burglaries reported in the month of March than in October.

Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll from 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 conclusion to the Winter Phase of Operation Thor is encouraging and we are re-focusing Operation Thor for the summer months.”

Gardaí say international figures indicate that a surge in burglaries of about 20% is likely during the winter months, when daylight hours are at their shortest.

The winter phase of Operation Thor involved the “undertaking of targeted enforcement and preventative activity” aimed at preventing burglars from exploiting the darkness.

Residential burglaries around the country fell from 1,427 in October to 806 for the month of March.