Business cards with the web address ‘almoststolen.uk’ on them were left on pub tables where belongings had been left unattended as part of a county wide crime prevention campaign.

Cambs Times: Team Student at Anglia Ruskin University.Team Student at Anglia Ruskin University. (Image: Archant)

In other ‘in your face’ measures to get over their message, police also issued ‘fixed penalty notices’ offering security advice on vehicles they described as “vulnerable”

More than 5,000 crime prevention leaflets, 4,000 security products, 80 PCSOs, 40 officers, 20 cadets, 12 Specials and eight crime prevention officers were involved in the day of action named Operation Oculus.

Cambs Times: Special Inspector Paul Jenkins, Detective Sergeant Tom Rowe and Superintendent James Sutherland on the night shift.Special Inspector Paul Jenkins, Detective Sergeant Tom Rowe and Superintendent James Sutherland on the night shift. (Image: Archant)

Superintendent James Sutherland, who led the operation, said: “In 24 hours we security marked several hundred items, tagged 750 bikes with lock advice, registered 326 people on Immobilise.com and 50 to eCops.

“We also carried out over 50 home and shed security surveys, delivered 100 van crime prevention kits, hosted five crime prevention workshops, brought the vulnerability of people’s belongings to their attention and arrested a well-known, outstanding burglary suspect.

Cambs Times: SC Ryan Berridge Security marking tools.SC Ryan Berridge Security marking tools. (Image: Archant)

“Our hashtag CrimePreventionDay was picked up nationally and internationally with other police forces, charities and public sector organisations raising awareness of crime prevention.”

The day saw six teams, focused on particular crime types, encourage people to protect their homes and belongings with 24 hours of activities across the county.

Cambs Times: Van security advice given on 'Operation Oculus’ day.Van security advice given on 'Operation Oculus’ day. (Image: Archant)

They marked property, spoke to people about how to protect their belongings and reduce opportunist crime, and sold security products at cost price.

Cambs Times: The shed sticker spoken about during 'Operation Oculus’.The shed sticker spoken about during 'Operation Oculus’. (Image: Archant)

Cambs Times: Cambridgeshire police cake.Cambridgeshire police cake. (Image: Archant)

Cambs Times: Security bike seat cover spoken about during 'Operation Oculus’.Security bike seat cover spoken about during 'Operation Oculus’. (Image: Archant)

Cambs Times: Bike secuty advice given during 'Operation Oculus’.Bike secuty advice given during 'Operation Oculus’. (Image: Archant)