POLICE have warned people to be vigilant after homes across Waltham Forest were targeted in  a spate of burglaries on Thursday (January 10).

Thousands of pounds worth of valuables were stolen and a total of eight break-ins and four attempted break-ins were reported across the borough in the space of just 24 hours.

Six of the incidents occurred in Chingford with properties in Brindwood Road, Frankland Road, Grove Road, Sunset Avenue, Valleyside and Warwick Road targeted.

In Grove Road a woman returned home at around 6.40pm to find a man in her bedroom rifling through her possessions.

He escaped with a mobile phone, jewellery and cash, jumping over a neighbour’s fence and running off in the direction of Harold Road.

Around four hours later, residents in Frankland Road and Warwick Road both called police to report break-ins in which £19,000 of jewellery and a quantity of cash was stolen.

Earlier in the day a terrified woman in Valleyside phoned police after a man opened her door and walked into her house.

When she confronted him he apologised and left. She had earlier observed three men rattling her door handle.

Another family in Brindwood Road reported their patio doors had been smashed in an unsuccessful attempt to break into their house.

And in Sunset Avenue two men fled in a black Corsa at around 6.30am after the owner of the property caught them trying to gain access to his house.

There were also two reports of burglaries at a shared house in Leyton High Road, a break-in at a house in Knotts Green Road, Leyton, where a laptop and an iPhone were taken, and attempted burglaries at Evelyn Road and Neville Close in Walthamstow.

Police have not said if they believe any of the incidents are linked.