There were three burglaries in Stevenage in the early hours of Sunday morning – with police launching a witness appeal.

The first burglary happened at around 4am in Letchmore Road, before another in Lines Road at 5am.

On both occasions the occupants disturbed the offender, who left via the back door.

Nothing appears to have been taken.

The third burglary happened in Durham Road at around 6am. A laptop was taken from the kitchen, but no suspect was seen.

Inspector Simon Tabert said: “We believe that the offender was able to access at least two of these addresses due to insecurities.

“This highlights the importance of making sure that your home is properly secure when you go to bed at night.

“Although it is rare for properties to be entered when the occupants are at home, leaving windows and doors open or unlocked is clearly a green light for opportunist thieves.

“We are also appealing to anyone who saw any suspicious activity in these areas at around these times, to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC Karen Dewar 101 or report online at www.herts.police.uk/report.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will never need to go to court.

For further home security advice go to www.herts.police.uk.