A number of flood-affected residents who have not been able to live in their homes since the October floods swept through the region have now been dealt another blow.
Thieves have recently hit about a dozen flood-affected houses in Mooroopna and Shepparton.
Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit Detective Acting Sergeant Matt Clowes said police had received many reports of these homes being broken into across a two-week period recently.
The majority were homes that had been hit hard by the floods and were either uninhabited or empty while their owners waited for post-flood renovations to be finished.
Det Acting Sgt Clowes said most of the homes were located in Mooroopna, but some were also in Shepparton.
In some cases, household items that remained in the homes, such as microwaves, were taken, while garden and power tools were also stolen from sheds or garages.
In at least one instance, vehicle keys were also taken.
“People were going through houses and taking what was left,” Det Acting Sgt Clowes said.
He asked people whose homes were vacant or under construction to ensure they were secure.
He also urged people to lock their tools in sheds at their properties.