Police column from Detective Inspector John Murphy

"With summer coming to an end, this is an ideal opportunity for me to provide a CID column in place of Chief Inspector Fisher’s usual contribution.

"We will shortly be reaching the point in the year where the light and bright days come to an end and the evening draws in much earlier.

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"With this in mind, I would ask Borders communities to remain vigilant for anyone attempting to utilise the cover of darkness to commit criminal activity within your local area.

"Typically, this will involve suspects trying doors of homes and vehicles to see if they get lucky and come across an unlocked property or car.

"Thieves are opportunistic and will target anywhere that is seen as a ‘soft-touch’ so don’t give them an easy target.

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"Please make sure that when you leave your house unoccupied, or when you retire to bed for the evening, you lock all doors and windows and ensure that any valuable within are not in easy view of those outside.

"The same goes for cars, vans and motorcycles.

"If you are parking up for the night, or will be away from your mode of transportation for any period of time, make sure it is appropriately secured.

"Try also to leave it in a well-lit area where it is easier for you to keep an eye on it.

"Given the success of the recent UCI World Cycling Championships in many parts of Scotland, including the Borders, it would be remiss of me not to mention bicycles and the importance of keeping these items safe.

"At the start of the summer, Police Scotland teamed up with professional mountain biker and social media content creator Scotty Loughland to produce a series of videos aimed at promoting bike security, while also highlighting the devastating impact bike theft can have on owners.

"I’d thoroughly recommend you check these videos out, by visiting the @PoliceScotland Twitter or Police Scotland Facebook pages.

"Additionally, a range of advice and information on safeguarding all of your property – be it your bike, vehicle, home or belongings – is available by visiting www.scotland.police.uk.

"Regardless of the time of year, one area that continues to see a rise in offending is fraud and, in particular, cyber fraud.

"Sadly, those responsible for such offences continue to come up with new and sophisticated ways of scamming communities out of their hard-earned money and it’s essential that the public remain vigilant.

"The most common types of cyber fraud relate to banking or computer scams.

"Often, the suspects pose as employees from your bank or your internet provider or computer software manufacturer.

"They will thereafter ask you to provide them with your personal information or to transfer money out of your account.

"Please remember that neither Police Scotland, nor your bank, will ever cold-call you to ask for your details, or to request you move funds to a separate location.

"Similarly, tech companies will never request you allow them access to your computer unless you have specifically contacted them to address an ongoing issue.

"Often these scammers seem very convincing and professional or may even use scare tactics to get you to comply, but please don’t be fooled.

"If you receive any such calls of this nature, do not provide any of your personal data.

"Terminate the call and contact Action Fraud or Police Scotland.

"Information about staying safe online is also available on the Police Scotland website."