Police have unveiled their latest weapon in the fight against crime - a simple piece of paper.

And, although they may lack the menace of a taser or a truncheon, these pieces of paper - called Vulnerable Premises Advice Forms - have been credited with reducing the recent burglary rate in Chiswick to zero.

The forms, used by officers from all of Hounslow's Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs), are designed to be placed on cars, homes and other property which police feel has been left vulnerable to burglary or theft.

Created with help from the Hounslow Community Safety Partnership, the forms are simple tick sheets that alert residents to the fact that a patrolling officer has seen that an accessible window open, found side gates open or seen valuable property on display through a window.

SNT officers working around the Chiswick area have reported no residential burglaries across the whole of Chiswick between June 26 and July 5 after they started using the forms.

But officers have also been carrying out high-visibility patrols around Chiswick which could have warded off criminals.

DI Tuffin, of Hounslow Police, said: "This is very good news for the residents of Chiswick but we must not be complacent.

"We are continuing with our efforts to make London safer and would urge everybody to report any suspicious activity.

"In this period of warm weather, we should all remain security minded and keep windows and doors securely locked especially those that are accessible."

But there is one glitch with the forms. Residents at the recent Isleworth and Brentford area committee meeting pointed out that, while the form provides phone numbers for many SNTs in the borough, it does not give a number for the SNTs in Isleworth and Bedfont.