Residents who have suffered the worst of June's extraordinary rains and floods are on alert for potential looting in areas where homes have been left empty and cars abandoned.South Yorkshire police said extra-high-visibility patrols had been brought in because of residents' concerns and warned they would bring 'the full might of the law' down on anyone caught looting.
Bob Dyson, the force's deputy chief constable, said: 'There have been rumours of burglary and theft in empty homes but we have not received any reports of this. No one deserves to be a victim of crime but to take advantage of people affected by the flooding would be viewed severely by us. Our officers would bring the full might of the law to bear on anyone caught doing that.'
In Toll Bar, near Doncaster, resident Mark Birkby said four to six men from the village were keeping watch 24 hours a day because police were not doing enough. Residents said they had caught people trying to break into a car and stopped outsiders from entering the flooded area. 'We had nothing here at all; no help from police or council, nothing at all for days,' Birkby added.
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