A gang of men wearing baseball caps with Irish accents are being connected to a number of burglaries.

On Saturday July 7, between 4.30pm and 4.50pm, houses in Whitecroft in St Albans and High Street in London Colney were broken into.

The burglaries are being linked to five more that happened the weekend before in the Camp Road area of St Albans as well as the city centre.

In London Colney, the men forced their way into the house but were disturbed by the homeowner inside. They threatened the man before fleeing empty handed.

Police believe the men knock on the victim’s doors and if no one answers, they force their way into the home. They would like to trace a silver Audi A3 which has been spotted in the area at the time of the burglaries.

The gang are described as white, in their late teens or early 20’s, wearing baseball caps, with Irish accents.

Detective Inspector Alexandra Warwick said: “I want to make residents aware of these men. If someone of the description given knocks on your door and asks for a person who does not live at the address or appears implausible as to why they are there please call police straight away.

“A silver Audi A3 is also seen in the area at the time of these burglaries, which is believed to be connected. We have stepped up proactive and covert police patrols and are working with other specialist departments to catch these men.

“However, if you see any men matching this description acting suspiciously in your neighbourhood, please call 999 or 101 if you are reporting retrospectively.

“Keep windows and doors shut and locked when you are out, especially when you go on holiday, and at night. Don’t leave your car keys by your front door – burglars will look to see if they can break into your home quickly and take your car keys and may be able to activate keyless fobs from outside your property if within a close enough range.

“I’d also urge residents to keep their jewellery hidden away and make sure you take photographs of any distinctive items. Please also make sure you securely lock all windows and doors, double locking uPVC doors and invest in timer lights to give your home the lived-in look. You can also purchase smart web cam CCTV technology for inside your home or on your doorbells.”