A COUPLE have urged people to lock doors and cars securely after their CCTV captured two masked men trying a locked gate at their Ross-on-Wye home in the middle of the night.

It came the same night that two children’s bikes were stolen from a shed around the corner, and just a week after another town householder’s CCTV caught a masked man apparently trying his car door.

West Mercia Police said: "We have received two reports over the past few weeks of theft from vehicles parked on the street in Ross and a further report in relation to individuals wearing hoodies reportedly trying door handles of parked cars.

"There have been no reports of burglaries at residential properties in Ross. However this month we did receive one report of a non-residential burglary where bicycles were stolen from a shed."

Gill Roes Francken and husband Marten posted CCTV of the two masked men between two cars outside their home early on Tuesday, November 9, on Facebook.

She said: "This was recorded last night at 3.36am in Ashfield Crescent. This person is trying the gate to our garden, which was locked. Please make sure your cars and property are lockedâ¦

"I’m quite shocked by this. Trying car doors is one thing, trying a gate with a balaclava on is another.

"I think they came round to the gate from the other side of the car on the left. Our CCTV is set so that passing cars, etc, don’t activate it."

One poster noticed that the man nearest the camera had a "distinctive limp" and appeared "quite tall by the looks from the height of the mini".

Wye Pursuits added: "That head gear is sold in Ross at the army surplus store, bet they haven’t sold to many, may be worth asking the question."

One woman posted on the Ross-on-Wye Facebook public noticeboard page: "We had two bikes stolen from our shed last night.

"The kids use them daily and are really upset. We live in the next road to Ashfield Crescent. If anyone has any CCTV from Walford Road and neighbourhood, I would be really grateful if you could check it.

"Our shed wasn’t locked last night sadly. I hope everyone reading this will be more careful; it feels horrible."

Another man said he was asleep in bed when his Ring camera at the front of his home captured a masked man by his car on Monday, November 1, at 2.03am.

"Apparently they have tried other cars as well," he posted. "Very brazen of them as the light came on but it did not deter him."

Mr Marten said of the incident outside their home: "It is a cause for concern, I’ve been concerned about this for a while.

"Ross is an affluent area with a lot of expensive cars around."