An ongoing 'sting' operation is helping West Midlands Police in Coventry score a major success against burglary over the Christmas and New Year period.

Officers from the Operational Command Unit at Chace Avenue, in partnership with Coventry City Council's Action Against Crime team, kitted out a number of houses and flats with surveillance equipment to trap anyone who tries to break in.

Publicity surrounding the launch of the initiative is being credited with helping to achieve a 20 per cent drop in burglary during December, compared with the same month last year.

And two people have been charged with burglary after being caught in one of the properties, which is in the Stoke area.

A 56-year-old man and a 37year-old woman appeared before magistrates in Coventry yesterday charged with burglary.

Supt Mark Sheasby, operations commander for Chace Avenue, which covers south Coventry, said:

"We believe our initiative is ideally suited to this particular problem and we are delighted with the big reduction in burglary.

"I am sure that much of the reason for the drop is that burglars are thinking twice about breaking into properties because they don't know if they will be caught out.

"I believe criminals are becoming aware that any home from Earlsdon to Stoke could be one of the ones with our specialist equipment and they can expect to get caught in the trap.

"The two people who now face charges demonstrate that if a person tries to break into one of our traps, we will know straight away.

"We are turning the tables on those who bring misery to others and we will continue to do so."