Residents are being warned to be vigilant after a burglary in Bury St Edmunds where the offenders purported to be police officers.

The incident occurred at around 1.10pm yesterday afternoon, Thursday 11 March, at an address in Mill Road South.

Two men entered the property via the front door and were then discovered in the living room by the victim. When she challenged them, they claimed to be police officers investigating reports of suspicious persons in the garden.

The victim asked them for identification which they failed to produce and at this point their behaviour became more threatening. One of the offenders was brandishing a screwdriver and told the victim to be quiet, before they then left the address.

The police were called immediately afterwards and officers searched the local area, assisted by the police dog unit, but the suspects were not located. The victim later found the men had been in the bedroom and stolen a quantity of jewellery and cash.

At total of four males were seen in the vicinity of this incident, with the two who were inside the property both described as being aged in their 20s or early 30s, of slight build and under 6ft tall. Further descriptions as follows:

– Suspect one – wearing a dark woolly hat, pale blue shirt and jeans. He also had on gardening gloves with orange palms and a surgical facemask. He was carrying a long screwdriver with a red handle

– Suspect two – wearing dark clothing, a woolly hat, dark gloves and a surgical facemask

Detectives believe that this crime is linked to another burglary which took place around 20 minutes prior to this incident, at just before 12.50pm, at a house in Mayfield Road.

The lock on the back gate was broken and entry was gained to the property via the back door whilst the victim was sleeping upstairs, but upon waking up heard noises in the spare room and so called out, at which point the suspects then left. It is not believed anything was stolen.

Two suspects were seen at this property, but there is only a description of one as follows: white, aged in his 20s, not very tall and wearing a black baseball cap.

Officers are appealing for any witnesses to these incidents and would like to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious persons or vehicles in the area.

Anyone with information is asked to contact West CID at Bury St Edmunds Police Station, quoting reference: 12033/21.