The operation took place over a 36 hour period

The operation saw constables patrolling along the town's Oxford Road, and directing "strike teams" of officers in Transit vans to houses and individuals suspected of what they termed "suspicious activity".

It started at 0400 BST on Thursday until early Friday, and was repeated overnight on Friday until the early hours of Saturday morning.

Thames Valley Police say burglary is now their number one priority, though it is intimately linked with drug problems in the area.

Drugs and burglary cannot be separated and I am very pleased with the outcome of Operation Eightfold Insp Dave Griffiths

It is believed the majority of crime committed in the area, including burglary, is carried out by a small "core group" of people in order to raise the money to buy drugs.

Inspector Dave Griffiths, who headed the operation, said: "The main priority for Reading with Wokingham police area is burglary. However, this is not an isolated theme. Most burglaries are commited by people with chaotic drug habits.

"The first place most people go after committing an offence is to get their drugs, by tackling these issues head on, we are not only targeting the offenders, but also getting at the root cause of crime in Reading.