POLICE have warned residents about a gang of burglars who have been plaguing two neighbourhoods.

Police in Derwentside said homes in the Blackhill and Shotley Hill area had been targeted by raiders looking for cash, jewellery, and electrical equipment.

Sergeant Fred McAlone said: "They are targeting mainly isolated houses, which are usually set back from main roads and often hidden by trees.

"They normally force their way in, often just kicking the door in to gain entry."

He said they believed a large proportion of these burglaries had been carried out by a team of local criminals.

There have been 14 house break-ins in the area since the beginning of September