During February the number of households signed up to Neighbourhood Watch in Hertfordshire topped 80,000.

Over the past year, Hertfordshire Constabulary and HertsWatch has achieved a greater than 20 per cent increase in membership across the county - with more than 15,000 additional households joining.

Police statistics show crime tends to be between 16 and 26 per cent lower in areas where watch schemes operate.

Watch members receive regular updates in the form of Online Watch Link (OWL) messages from their nearest police station.

These may be about local crime trends, fraud alerts, crime prevention tips and safety advice.

Often the messages contain appeals for the public to provide information to help solve local crimes, find missing people and report anti-social behavior issues in their local area.

Police said two separate missing people in Hertfordshire have been found safe recently after help from Neighbourhood Watch members who have responded to OWL alerts.

Watch members also have the opportunity to take part in online surveys and participate in online live chat meetings with their nearest policing team.

Julie Lloyd, community safety manager from the Crime Reduction Unit, said: "By being a good neighbour you can help make your community more secure by looking out for your neighbours, keeping an eye on their homes when they are out, watching out for those who are elderly or vulnerable and receiving and sharing crime prevention advice to help keep you and your neighbours safe and your homes and property secure."

Residents who would like to find a watch scheme in their area can click here.