Police warning after spate of city gold burglaries

CCTV at one of the homes shows a masked person standing outside a glass door

Officers are investigating a spate of burglaries in York predominantly targeting family gold in Asian communities.

North Yorkshire Police said the 10 break-ins were reported in the east of the city between 21 January and 16 March, with the force believing properties had been surveilled in advance.

One family had more than £100,000 worth of gold stolen, including jewellery that had been accumulated over generations, while another household had a suitcase stolen that contained £6,000 in cash and £6,000 worth of jewellery.

An appeal for information is set to feature on BBC's Crimewatch Live on Friday, with investigations by the force continuing.

Det Ch Insp Shaun Page said: "I believe that there is information within the local community that will help us and I'm hopeful that tomorrow's appeal on Crimewatch will generate positive lines of inquiry."

Valuable gold items stolen from homes in York include necklaces and earrings

As part of the appeal, police released a CCTV image of a masked burglar captured at one of the targeted properties in Heworth.

"Our neighbourhood policing team is working closely with our local communities to issue crime prevention advice," the officer added.

"I would urge anyone who has gold within their property to be aware that the price of gold has recently surged - please think about simple steps that you can take to deter thieves away from your property."

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