Burglaries across Ireland during the winter months have declined by a staggering 75 per cent in eight years, Gardai have revealed.

Cops said the reduction is down to Operation Thor which was set up to tackle home invasions through crime prevention and intelligence-led enforcement.

They revealed between October 2014 and March 2015 - there were 12,057 residential burglaries.

READ MORE: How to protect your home from break-ins this winter - crime prevention Garda's top tips

During the same period in 2022/2023, there were 2,988.

They also revealed that burglary and related offences dropped from 8,713 during the winter season in 2019/2020 to 4,595 in 2022/2023.

In the winter period of 2014/2015, gardai recorded 12,057 residential burglaries but over the same period last year, only 2,998 were reported.

Cops did warn that burglaries are still more likely to occur during the winter months when the days are shorter and will most likely occur between 5pm and 9pm on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

They said the darker nights give the burglars cover, making it easier to break in unnoticed, and it can also make it easier to see if a property is vacant.

Speaking earlier today, Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland, said: "It is deeply traumatic for any person when their home or business premises is burgled.

"It’s an invasion of privacy and oftentimes, even if nothing of sentimental or monetary value is taken, the place never feels comfortable to a victim again.

"There are vulnerable people and people who are elderly that live in more rural parts of the country and can be fearful of being burgled.

"Gardaí are very conscious to protect these people and reassure them of their presence in the community.

"This winter we will be out on patrol across the country to help protect communities and deter criminals from burglary."

Det Chief Supt Boland also revealed as part of a national strategy, gardai were determined to find out which organised crime groups were travelling Ireland to rob homes.

He said members of burglary gangs have been put behind bars with the same organised crime legislation used to take down feuding drug mobs.

Det Chief Supt Boland said once these gangs are intercepted and members are arrested, burglary statistics across the country drop dramatically.

During the winter phase of Operation Thor, Gardai said they will conduct high-visibility patrols and checkpoints at specific times of day in known "hot spots" to reduce the movement of burglars, gather intelligence on known offenders and regularly communicate with those in the community about crime prevention measures.

They also vowed that every burglary would be thoroughly probed while also working closely with partner agencies in both local and national government.

Det Chief Supt Boland stressed burglary gangs operate on an "all-Island basis" and said home invasions are preventable.

The top cop said simple tricks like turning on some lights, using timer switches/motion detectors, locking all doors and windows, using a house alarm, and storing keys away from windows could prevent thieves from targeting your home.

They also warned people not to keep large amounts of cash or jewellery in their houses.

Gardai also said there was a more than 25 per cent reduction in the number of residential burglaries during the summer phase 2023 of Operation Thor compared with 2022.

Cops have also urged members of the public to download their Property App which will allow the public to index and record their personal property such as jewellery, electronic equipment, bicycles, laptops, cameras, and farm machinery.

If the items are then stolen, they can use the in-app reporting tool to easily report the theft of any of the items.