POLICE have warned residents to be wary of what they leave lying around outside their homes, after a series of incidents in the Burnley Road area of Accrington.

One property in Owen Street was burgled during the day on Saturday, while a further two properties in Lime Road and Lodge Street were the targets of attempted burglaries on the same day.

Police said burglars used tools found at each of the properties to gain entry to the houses and that the incidents may be linked.

At Owen Street, £700-worth of goods were stolen after a trowel from the back yard was used to force a window open.

An axe in the rear yard of a house in Lime Road was used to smash a window at the property between 2pm and 3pm. The burglar fled following the noise caused.

A hammer found in an unlocked shed at a house in Lodge Street was used to break a rear door panel of the house at 2.30pm. The noise disturbed a dog which began barking and the burglar ran away.

PC Mark Winstanley, of Accrington police, said: "We would ask people not to leave things like this lying around as they could be used in this way. Similarly people should always lock their sheds.

"I would also ask anyone who saw anything suspicious in that area on Saturday to contact the police, as somebody must have seen something."