Elderly woman had jewellery stolen from her fingers whilst she slept

Police are appealing for help to identify a man in connection with burglaries in Rochdale

A man entered a property on Manchester Road, Marland at around 2am on Friday 3 June and removed jewellery from the elderly victim’s fingers whilst she slept.

He left the property with a gold wedding ring, a gold solitaire engagement ring, a gold ring with an emerald in the middle and a diamond either side, a gold link bracelet and a gold chain with an oblong locket.

Later that morning at around 3.15am police were called to reports of a burglary on Mulberry Close, Rochdale. A man gained entry by smashing a window before searching the property.

He was disturbed by the elderly victim before demanding to know where money was kept and then pushed past the victim before leaving the property.

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with this burglary.

Police believe the burglaries may be linked.

At around 3.45am a man was also seen acting suspiciously around Milk Street where he tried to gain access to a property by pulling a window open.

The man is described as slim with an athletic build and around 5ft 11ins, aged between 18 and 30 years and wearing dark clothing.

Detective Sergeant Chris Mannion of GMP’s Rochdale borough, said: “This is a sad sequence of events where people were targeted in the middle of the night for the offender’s selfish personal gain.

“If you know someone who fits the description of the man please get in touch with us as it could help us reunite these people with their belongings.

“The weather is getting warmer but please remember to lock all windows and doors when you are not in the room.

“Taking seconds out of your day to make sure your home is secure could prevent you from becoming a victim of burglary.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 872 5050 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.