A WOULD-BE burglar attempted to break into a house by damaging a cat-flap in a bid to remove a key which was left in a lock on the inside of the door.

But the attempted raid at the property in Burnham Road, was thwarted when the key was bent in the lock, preventing access.

Sergeant Martin Alvis, of Malmesbury Police, said: "Something to bear in mind here, a few years a go we had some burglaries where I recall cat-flaps being the method of entry using the keys within the locks. Have a look at your security, what can you do to stop this happening?"

Anyone with any information about the incident, which occurred sometime between December 15th and 18th, is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101.