POLICE are urging people to be on their guard after a series of burglaries.
The thieves took advantage of people leaving their homes unlocked in the Stanley area.
Police issued a warning after an incident in Mitchell Street at South Moor, near Stanley, where a door was left open for more than 30 hours.
A thief took jewellery including a gold bracelet worth £800, a necklace, several rings, a gold crucifix and an imitation gold watch.
Two houses in the Shield Row, outside Stanley, were also targeted. A purse was stolen from a house in Wylam Terrace, and a mobile phone stolen in Barn Hill. Both homes had been left unlocked.
Other incidents included a housebreak in King Street, South Moor. The thieves stole a bag containing a purse and cash cards. A house in Westfields, in South Stanley, was burgled while the occupant was in the garden. The thief entered through the front door and stole a handbag.
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