POLICE are linking two burglaries which took place while the occupiers of the houses were out gardening.

On Thursday May 23 a thief broke into the houses on Abingdon Drive in Ashton, Preston.

He took several items of jewellery and some cash from the first house and made off with a diamond solitaire ring and cash from the second house.

The thief was white, only 5ft 2ins tall and had dark hair, a goatee beard and was wearing a green waistcoat jacket.

In another incident, a 22 year-old woman was indecently assaulted by a man who attacked her from behind at around 11am on Friday, May 24 in Leighton Street, Preston.

The attacker walked casually away as another member of the public approached.

The attacker was white, between 50 and 60 years, with short, grey hair and a weathered appearance. He was about 5ft 9ins tall, wore blue jeans and a padded lumber jacket.

A thief made off with several ornaments from the Porcupine Arts shop on Lune Street, Preston, at around 3.20pm on Friday, May 24.

He stole a Terracotta pre-historic god figure, a carved wooden elephant and two brass xylophones with male figures.

The thief was about 20 years old, clean shaven, with very short ginger hair and an earring in his left ear. He was 5ft 8ins tall, slim, wearing a three-quarter length jacket, black trainers and white laces.

Robbers pounced on a 23 year-old man as he walked down Surgeons Court, a quiet alley in Preston.

They forced him to the ground before stealing his wallet and cash on Friday, May 24.

The first thief was white, in his early 20s, 5ft 5ins tall, wearing dark jeans and an orange baseball capHis accomplice, about the same age, was 5ft 8ins tall and wore dark jeans.

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