The Police are continuing to send extra patrols to areas of Ross-on-Wye which have been targeted recently by burglars.

Inspector Bob Barnett told the Ross Gazette the town has been subject to special patrols, both by plain clothed and uniformed officers for several weeks now. He added that he had applied for extra resources to tackle the recent spate of burglaries and attempted break-ins.

Another young family were left distressed after an attempted break-in at their home in Wallhouse Road last weekend.

Resident Jared Morrison told the Ross Gazette that he was aware of an attempt to gain entry to his home on Wednesday, January 13th. He heard someone trying to open the back door and, when he opened it, his dog ran straight to the end of the garden, and he could hear rustling from the fence there.

However on Saturday morning, January 16th, when Jared and his partner returned from a night away, they discovered that an attempt had been made to enter the back door. Jared believes that a screwdriver, or similar implement, had been used to try to force the barrel lock inside the door. He told the Gazette that nothing was taken but, he said:?“We are still worried about being in the property in case they return.” He also raised the issue of the new LED street lights as he said the road is now very dark. He said this makes it easy for anyone to walk up and down the street without being noticed.

Jared is also concerned that whoever tried to break-in knew the property was empty and may have been watching them. The police reference for this incident is 22EC3452B/16.

There were another two burglaries at empty properties in Ross-on-Wye on Friday, January 15th.

The first was at a property in Park Walk between 9am and 6.45pm, while the occupants were out during the day.

A quantity of cash, a safe, jewellery and other items were taken. The safe was later recovered in the Coughton area. The reference for this incident is: 0554-S-150116.

The second was a burglary at another empty property in Overross Street between 3pm and 9pm. The reference for this incident is 0651-S-150116.

This latest spate of burglaries follow on from the number of attempted burglaries reported in the Ross Gazette last week (Wednesday, January 13th).

There was also a report of a break-in at a detached garage in Brampton Abbotts on Friday, January 15th, between 8am and 5pm, when a ride on lawnmower was taken. The lawnmower was a Husqvarna, with a value of approximately £1000. The reference number for this incident is: 603-S-150116.

Inspector Bob Barnett said that the investigation into all the incidents is ongoing and this includes exploring a potential link between them, due to the dates and times they occurred.

The Ross Gazette has also been told of several incidents of people approaching properties, and when challenged, coming up with implausible reasons for being there. Inspector Barnett advised that if someone calls at your door that you are not expecting and they don’t give you a satisfactory explanation, report it to the police on 101.

Jenny Hyde, the County Councillor for the North Ward, where several incidents have been reported, told the Ross Gazette that she is pleased the police are responding with extra patrols. She urged everyone to be vigilant and anyone with any information, however insignificant, should report it to the police.

If you have any further information about any of these incidents, please report it to the police, by calling 101, and quoting the reference number.