A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicions of serial housebreaking near North Bridge Road, the police said in a statement on Wednesday.

Police received a call on Tuesday at 1.08am from occupants of a Beach Road unit, who said that an unknown man was found in their house. But he escaped when they confronted him. The police launched a search immediately, but did not manage to track down the suspect.

Later that morning, at 7.51am, the police received another call informing them of a burglary, this time along North Bridge Road. The suspect had fled with items such as a laptop, mobile phone, a pair of spectacles and a DVD player. He was eventually arrested near New Bridge Road, and the stolen laptop and mobile phone were recovered.

In the statement, the police advised home owners to:

- Properly secure all doors and windows with good quality grilles and close-shackled padlocks;

- Ensure that all doors and windows are secured, before going to sleep or leaving the house;

- Install a burglar alarm, sensor light and/or surveillance cameras to cover access points into the home. Test them periodically to ensure they are in good condition;

- Keep large sums of cash in banks, and expensive jewellery in a safe deposit box;

- Suspend newspaper subscriptions and arrange for someone to check on the home, if going away for a prolonged period.