The army has been used to combat a string of burglaries in Amsterdam Noord, the city’s mayor Eberhard van der Laan said on Sunday.

Van der Laan declined to give further details but said the help came in the form of equipment used as the ‘eyes and ears’ not ‘soldiers patrolling the streets’. All was done in accordance with the rules, Van der Laan told current affairs show Buitenhof.

The results were a reduction of 30% and 50% in burglaries, the mayor said. More details about the case will be published by the police and justice ministry shortly.

A spokesman for the public prosecution department declined to comment on the claims on Sunday, the Volkskrant said.