A man has been arrested by police following reports of a break-in at a property in Irvine.

At about 5.45am on Monday a resident in Whyte Avenue allegedly discovered the man having broken into the garage of a property and police were contacted.

The-32-year-old-man was traced by police nearby and arrested for alleged theft by housebreaking.

He was held in police custody to appear at Court and a full report sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Sergeant Jason Peter, of the Irvine Locality Policing Team, said: "It is important that residents and local businesses regularly review their security.

"Thanks to the alert member of the public and the timely report to police, officers were able to attend and trace the man nearby.

"We will continue to work with local people and our partners to reduce the impact of crime on the community - only by working together will we make North Ayrshire safer.

"I would encourage anyone with information on crime in their area to contact their local policing team by calling 101 or to pass information anonymously by calling CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111."

For the latest crime prevention advice visit the 'Keep Safe' pages of the Police Scotland website at www.scotland.police.uk