Four linked with 100 burglaries

THREE men and a woman have been arrested in connection with more than 100 burglaries across Cheshire – including 21 in the Warrington area.
Police swooped on a number of addresses in the early hours, arrested the four suspects and began a detailed inspection of their homes.
They believe the four people were responsible for 100 burglaries between October and December last year – and that more offences could have been committed.
A 57-year-old woman was arrested in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, a 31-year-old man was arrested in Salford and a 54-year-old man from Failsworth was arrested in Manchester city centre. A 50-year-old man was produced from prison.
Cheshire Police experienced a dramatic increase in burglaries from dwellings in October, starting in the west of the county but spreading to the north and east.
Detectives quickly linked the crimes and believed the same people were responsible and Operation Edendale was launched, leading to the arrests.
Nine burglaries involved properties in Grappenhall, eight in Thelwall, two in Lymm and two in Stockton Heath.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Williams said: “The public should feel reassured by these arrests and I hope it reinforces to them the work we have been doing to catch the people responsible for spreading such misery across Cheshire.
“For such a high number of burglaries to happen in such a short space of time is very unusual and to me shows the arrogance of the criminals responsible, thinking that they would not be caught.
“Detectives across the county have been working tirelessly over the last few months to gather the intelligence and evidence we needed to strike.
“It was without doubt a number one priority for the Constabulary to stop these burglaries and we used a number of tactics and resources as part of our investigation.
“Burglary has such a devastating impact on people’s lives and I hope these arrests send out a strong message that Cheshire Police takes crimes such as this very seriously and we will put all our resources into catching the people responsible.”
Police continue to urge the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police. This particular spate of burglaries appears to have ended on New Year’s Eve, but there will always be opportunistic thieves who will take a chance if they see an open window or door.
Anyone with any information about suspicious activity can contact police on 101.