Burglars raid four homes in one night

Police say residents should be aware of people possibly checking out houses as targets

Police are investigating a string of burglaries where intruders broke in by smashing glass patio doors.

Gloucestershire Police said the four break-ins happened across the Cotswolds in one evening last week, with all of them occurring before 21:00 GMT.

High-value watches, jewellery and a bag were stolen, while the fourth property was searched for valuables.

The force is asking home owners to report suspicious activity such as people "scoping out" properties by driving slowly around neighbourhoods.

The first incident happened between 17:00 and 19:00 GMT on 5 February at a house in Northleach.

Later that evening offenders forced their way into a property in the Beeches area of Cirencester by smashing the back patio doors and searching it.

There was a third burglary in Stratton just before 20:00 GMT, where intruders had once again forced their way in via the back door before ransacking the house and stealing expensive watches.

The final incident took place in Poulton at around 20:45 GMT.

Police want to hear from anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage which might help the investigation.