Masked intruders enter through Melbourne home's cat flap during burglary - 9News

Families across Melbourne's Bayside have been left terrified after a gang of youths went on a crime spree that targeted victims' homes as they slept.

Police said the spree happened across the suburbs of Hampton and Sandringham in the early hours of this morning.

Four luxury cars and two handbags were stolen during the burglaries with the offenders at one point using a cat flap to gain access to a property.

The alleged offenders at one point used a cat flap to gain access to a property. (9News)

CCTV caught them entering a Hampton home through a cat flap, before the group ransacked the house while the resident, his wife and two young children were asleep.

"Having people in your house, invading your privacy and safety of your home's really disturbing," the victim, who did not want to be identified, told 9News.

"The kids are really scared, I'm not sure how they're gonna cope with that."

The thieves stole two of the family's luxury cars, even giving the finger to a security camera.

"They were pretty brazen. I yelled at them, they didn't seem to care," he said.

"They're just in it for fun and getting away with it and there's no ramifications."

The crime spree has left local families terrified. (9News)

Detectives are investigating whether the same youths targeted another house an hour earlier.

Once inside they stole car keys and a handbag before stealing two cars from the residence.

Police said both of the properties were unlocked at the time of the crimes.

Residents have claimed the issue was happening frequently across Melbourne's suburbs.

Victorian opposition spokesperson James Newbury said the state government needed to come down on offenders harder to deter them.

"It's one of the worst crimes that can occur to a family to know that someone's in your home when you've got young kids," Newbury said.

"Labor needs to stop ignoring these serious, serious crimes."

Police have a dedicated operation targeting youth offenders that runs every night in the east and south-eastern suburbs but said their best advice to residents was to make sure all possible entry points to the home are locked.

A spokesperson from the Victorian Government said the area where the crimes occurred remained overwhelmingly safe, and had the 25th lowest offence rate in the state.

"Community safety is our number one priority - which is why we have invested a record $4.5 billion in funding to Victoria Police delivering police the resources and tools they need to keep Victorians safe, including funding for more than 3600 new police officers," the spokesperson said.

"While our police do everything to make sure Victorians are kept safe, people can help by making sure all doors, windows and entrances to houses are kept locked to deter thieves."

Police have since recovered two cars in relation to the spree.

No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.

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2024-02-20 06:27:00Z
CBMinQFodHRwczovL3d3dy45bmV3cy5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvbWVsYm91cm5lLW5ld3MtbWFza2VkLWludHJ1ZGVycy1lbnRlci10aHJvdWdoLW1lbGJvdXJuZS1ob21lcy1jYXQtZmxhcC1kdXJpbmctYnVyZ2xhcnkvYjFmZTU4YTktZGUyZC00NmVlLTk2YzgtYWRiN2NiYjNiNTc10gFFaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuOW5ld3MuY29tLmF1L2FydGljbGUvYjFmZTU4YTktZGUyZC00NmVlLTk2YzgtYWRiN2NiYjNiNTc1

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