“There is growing evidence that some organised teams of burglars may be using
this method to target homes in south London,” Wandsworth council’s
crime prevention spokesman Jonathan Cook told the paper.

“We are therefore urging local residents to keep a very close eye out
for these stickers and if they find one to remove it straight away and
report it to the police.”

The stickers are so small the residents may not even notice them and are
believed to be used to flag up addresses that are empty or have vulnerable
locks.

Other similar marking schemes have been uncovered by police elsewhere in the
UK, with Manchester officers recently discovering that chalk symbols were
being used on houses and pavements as signs for thieves.

Inspector David Bannister from Wandsworth police warned that the locksmith
advertised on the stickers was “not a genuine company” and urged
residents to report such labels.