BURGLARS struck two homes in the same street within a few days of one another.

The properties in Lymington Avenue, Leigh, are also within a few doors of each other, leading to concerns the crimes are linked.

At some point between 8pm on Saturday, January 2, and 4.30am on Sunday, January 3, thieves broke into a house through the back door, causing around £250 damage.

The house was ransacked, but nothing was stolen.

The next burglary happened during the daytime of Monday, January 4, when thieves broke into a house through a rear window and made off with jewellery, bank cards, personal documents, a three-figure sum of cash and a flat-screen television.

Southend police investigating officer, PC Emma Ridgwell, said: “We are not sure why nothing was stolen in the first burglary, but in the second one they got away with a lot of items.

“As the house is situated on a fairly main road off the A13, we would hope that someone carrying a black television out of a house would have aroused suspicion.”

Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or with information in connection with these burglaries should contact Southend police station on 0300 3334444.