Police appeal after spate of burglaries

Police in Merseyside have released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to following a series of thefts from jewellers across the country.

Jewellers in Merseyside, Cumbria and Lancashire have all been targeted in recent weeks by men asking to view expensive items before grabbing them and running off.

The incidents, which happened between April 22 and May 30, have resulted in an estimated £30,000 worth of jewellery being stolen.

Officers believe that the man in the images may have important information that could help them progress their investigations into the crimes.

As well as the reported thefts, police said that there have been incidents where a customer has been seen as acting suspiciously in other jewellers in Southport, Heswall, Stoke, Shrewsbury, Telford and Dumfries, Scotland.

Detective Constable Neil Hughes from Liverpool CID said: “Thefts from businesses are not victimless crimes and the jewellers in question have lost thousands of pounds in goods and staff have been left upset at being tricked.

“The offender on each occasion has spoken with an Irish accent and these incidents have happened in lots of different areas in a short space of time, even though some locations are quite far apart. We are treating them as linked and it is likely that the offender or offenders are moving around in a car or on public transport.

“We are working closely with the retail and security industries to raise awareness of this crime and to make sure shop security procedures are in place.”

Police have urged anyone who knows this man or has seen him recently to call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 4065 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.