Police have urged people in Oldham to be on their guard after a spate of burglaries targeting family gold, the Manchester Evening News reports. Jewellery raids have also been recorded in Rochdale and Bury in recent weeks.

Thieves have got in at the back of homes by snapping locks, smashing their way in or walking through insecure doors, with a vehicle believed to have been parked on nearby streets.

Detective Chief Inspector Roger Smethurst, of GMP's Serious Crime Division, asked residents to "stay vigilant as the darker nights draw in". Suspicious activity can be reported on 101, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.