Concerned residents have vowed to fight back against the burglars who are repeatedly striking in the Fairylands area of Pembroke.Brazen thieves are targeting the affluent area with at least five break-ins reported to the police in just over a month. Thousands of dollars worth of property has been stolen with many of the break-ins taking place while residents were sleeping. The latest break-in saw a homeowner wrestling with an intruder after catching him in his home in the early hours of Monday morning.Residents have already added locks and bars to their windows and dead bolts to their doors, but they insist they will not let the thieves win. About 50 area residents got together last night to set up a Neighbourhood Watch Group and they are now looking at “taking a stand together.”Linda Down, who is coordinating the Neighbourhood Watch group, said: “The amount of break-ins is starting to become a big issue. Someone is obviously starting to target areas where they think they can quickly get their hands on good stuff. They are looking for things they can quickly sell on.“It is scary, but the residents are taking a stand together. These burglars have a fight on their hands.“We have to do something because with the economy the way it is, it’s probably going to escalate. It’s so sad that Bermuda has come to this.”Ms Down’s own home in Fairyland Road was broken into on April 21. The burglar kicked in the front door and rifled through the family’s belongings before fleeing with more than $5,000 worth of leather jackets, Helly Hanson jackets, a Louis Vuitton handbag, sunglasses and jewellery. He even helped himself to a loaf of bread, a bottle of Ribena and some liquor.A neighbour spotted the thief, who was in his 40s, calmly walking along the road with a duffel bag on his shoulder between 3pm and 4pm.That night there was an attempted break-in at a police officer’s home on Timber Lane. The police officer’s daughter is thought to have disturbed the burglar as she returned home from work at about 4am. A pane of glass had been removed from the front door.Another home on Timber Lane was broken into on two separate occasions. After one of the breaks-in a man knocked on the door and told the family they could have their belongings back, if they paid him a reward.Intruders are understood to be getting to the homes in Timber Lane by climbing over the wall at the back of Westmeath Seniors Home.A couple of weeks ago an apartment on Fairyland Road was targeted as a couple slept in their bed. The burglar forced open the door and stole a purse and a wallet, which were later found dumped near The Green Lantern. Then at about 2.20am on Monday a man was woken when an intruder got into his home on Mill Shares Road. A brief struggle took place and the intruder escaped on foot empty-handed. The resident was not injured.Police have increased uniformed and plain-clothed patrols in the area. They have told residents they believe the same person is responsible for most of the break-ins. Ms Down put up a homemade sign at the junction of Fairyland Road and Mill Shares Road saying she had been burgled and a Neighbourhood Watch group needed to be set up. She got about 80 phone calls.Ms Down’s home has been burgled four times over the years and she said she now sleeps with an air-horn by her bed so she can raise the alarm. She said: “When this latest one happened I was so upset, I just thought how could I be broken into in broad daylight? He escaped on foot and walked to the main road.“I felt violated, it was horrible, I got home and I balled my eyes out. I was just grateful I wasn’t at home when it happened.”Neighbourhood Watch signs will now be put on lampposts in the Fairylands area and residents will cut back trees and hedges so there are fewer places to hide. Residents would also like to see a fence being put up to stop the Mills Creek boat yard being used as an escape route. Plans to make the area a gated community were also discussed at last night’s meeting.Ms Down said: “The residents are going to start working together. Whoever is behind these burglaries knows the area, they must come and case out the place. We are going to take down licence numbers or take photos of anything that looks suspicious. We will intimate them.”Bermuda Police say there has been a recent increase in burglaries, especially where high-value electronics are taken, and they’d urge the public to remain vigilant. All windows and doors are locked before you leave your home unattended, even for short periods of time. Valuables should also be stored out of sight and serial numbers of equipment should be recorded and photos taken.The suspect in Monday’s Mill Shares Road break-in was a young, light skinned man of slim build wearing blue denim knee length shorts, a grey sweat top which may have had a hood, and new blue grey Adidas sneakers.Detectives are appealing for anyone with any information about this or any other burglaries in the Fairylands area to contact the Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit on 295-0011.The public is also reminded to report any suspicious vehicles, activities or individuals in their neighbourhoods and that receiving stolen property is an offence punishable under the law.