Burglars could be marking homes with stickers advertising bogus locksmiths to identify properties as potential targets, police have warned.

It is believed scouts may be visiting houses to check whether anyone is at home during the day and levels of security, before placing a sticker containing the message ‘24/7 Locksmith’  and a phone number on the home if it is perceived to be vulnerable.

Police are currently investigating a number of stickers placed on homes across Waltham Forest.

A suspect sticker was spotted at the family home of Tim Byrne in Fyfield Road, Walthamstow, a week ago.

The 47-year-old said: “I noticed a locksmith’s sticker on my letterbox and thought ‘What a cheeky bit of advertising’.

He said he thought it might be the latest method used by burglars in the area after chalk was previously used to mark walls and pavements near vulnerable homes.

Danny McGivern, of Cann Hall Road in Leytonstone, found a sticker on his home last week.

“Someone knocked on the door at 5am on Saturday and it looks like they tampered with the door,” the 18-year-old trainee police officer said.

“What they do is knock on your door and see if you’re in. If you’re not in they leave the sticker there. I think they’re putting different numbers to signify when you’re not in.”

Mr McGivern said he left the sticker on his door thinking it was real until he heard about an burglary in Wandsworth connected to the use of a sticker.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy has been working with residents to locate stickers.

Yesterday she tweeted: “Thank you Walthamstow for help tracking down ‘locksmith’ stickers in situ (ie still on doors!) much appreciated!”

The Met issued warning urging residents to report sticker sightings to their Safer Neighbourhood Team.