Three men target Wiltshire country homes in burglaries
Jewels worth £600,000 stolen in the east of the county
Wiltshire Police have issued advice to communities after a series of burglaries in the east of the county.
The crimes took place between 8th December and 15th December when three men dressed in dark clothing and face coverings approached large country homes across fields while the owners were out.
Targets were in areas near Marlborough and Ramsbury, with safes containing jewellery and cash worth £600,000 either forced open or removed.
Detective Inspector Steve Edwards said:
“As you’d imagine, these break-ins have caused considerable distress with sentimental items taken from both properties.
"We believe these incidents may be linked to an organised crime group targeting isolated estates, as the burglaries appear to be highly sophisticated and offending both inside and outside of Wiltshire’s borders.
"The offenders have specifically targeted safes containing high-value items such as jewellery and cash.
"We are actively responding to these crimes and working closely with other forces to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”
Police advice to keep homes secure
Officers are calling on people to make some changes to improve home security:
- Check security measures
- Add layers of security or conceal valuable items
- Take photos and record details of your valuables and store them safely
- Report suspicious activity or unfamiliar individuals and vehicles in rural areas during darkness
- More detailed prevention tips are available on the Wiltshire Police website.
Appeal to jewellers
Detective Inspector Edwards added:
"We would also appeal to jewellers that if you have received or been offered for sale suspicious items please let us know."