A string of burglaries in Hartlepool has left residents shaken after waking up to see intruders in their homes. 

Properties, in the Rossmere area of Hartlepool, were targeted by intruders in the early hours of Wednesday, March 1.

Between 3 am and 5.25 am, the burglars broke into four homes - on Armadale Grove, Mardale Avenue, Berkeley Avenue and Mowbray Road.

The incompetent burglars only managed to steal a red Ford Fiesta and a handbag, but they did wake up and terrify households with long noises and shining torches.

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Detectives in Hartlepool are now seeking CCTV, ring doorbell or dashcam footage following a number of burglaries targeting residents in the Rossmere area of the town.

In a statement, the police have outlined the series of events. A house in Armadale Grove was broken into at around 3 am, where a handbag was stolen.

Thieves then forced entry to the home of a retired couple on Berkeley Avenue sometime between 3 am and 5.30 am. The keys to their red Ford Fiesta were stolen together with their car, which was later found abandoned on Yarmouth Close in the Fens area of the town.

At around 4 am, there was an attempted burglary at a house on Mardale Avenue. The burglars made off empty-handed when the occupants were woken by the noise and disturbed them. They were sighted using a Ford Fiesta as their escape vehicle.

Then at around 5.25 am, an 83-year-old man was woken by intruders shining a torch in his bedroom, at his home on Mowbray Road.

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The police have described the first suspect as a 6ft tall white male in his 30s, with a pale complexion. He appeared to have some kind of dimpled scarring on his face, and was wearing a grey washed-out hoody with the hood up, a dark hat, and dark tracksuit bottoms tucked into his socks.

The second suspect is described as wearing a hoody and a dark-coloured waterproof coat with the hood up.

Detectives are also investigating two other burglaries, which also occurred on Wednesday, March 1, which they believe may be linked.

A house in Owton Manor Lane was broken into in the early hours, where a black Vauxhall Corsa was stolen. This vehicle has yet to be found.

The second incident also occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 1st March. Two Mercedes were stolen during a burglary of a house in Whingroves, Stockton. Both of these cars were involved in road traffic collisions that same morning.

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At 7 am at the junction of Stockton Road and Rossmere Way in Hartlepool, a Mercedes, narrowly missed a dog walker and collided with the central reservation. The male driver then fled the scene.

The second Mercedes crashed into a parked car on Diamond Way Stockton and was discovered abandoned at 7.30 am.

Officers believe that these incidents may be linked and are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the offenders or if anyone has CCTV, ring doorbell or dash cam footage in these areas to contact Cleveland Police on 101, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.