Invaders wielding screwdrivers have targeted St Albans homes in a continued burglary spree across the district.

Adding to the 44 burglaries recorded in St Albans district this month, three men carrying pointed implements demanded gold from a Birchwood Way homeowner on December 14 at 6.50pm.

They stole a mobile phone and searched unsuccessfully for jewellery. The crime reference is 41/66645/18.

At 9pm on December 17 three men with screwdrivers forced a door to gain access to a house on Radlett’s Beech Avenue, confronting people inside and demanding money.

An android tablet, mobile phone, some jewellery, credit cards, money, and a black VW Polo was stolen. The crime reference for this is 41/66925/18.

Three men broke into a house on St Leonards Crescent between 7.40pm and 7.50pm on December 17. They brandished a screwdriver and took earrings. Use 41/66935/18 for this crime.

There were two burglaries on December 18 - an Audi A5 and a Mazda 6 were stolen from Chandlers Road between 1.30am and 1.44am, and offenders attempted to get access to a property on Windmill Avenue between 2pm and 2.35pm.

In response, Herts police have upped their high-visibility and covert patrols around the county.

St Albans Det Insp Alexandra Warwick said: “My team and I take these burglaries personally. We will not rest until we have caught these unscrupulous thieves.

“We do not believe that these burglars seek to confront homeowners but they are brazen enough to do so when they find them unexpectedly at home.”

They are appealing to trace three men, who are possibly Irish or Eastern European, wearing baseball caps and beanie hats and using a dark BMW or Volkswagen Passat.

DI Warwick added: “We have had some success from residents who have captured people acting suspiciously on their video door bells and CCTV systems with burglar alarms disturbing opportunist offenders.”

She said although police expect an increase in burglaries from October into winter, December has been “very unusual” for the high number targeting Asian households for gold.

Expensive and sentimental jewellery should be kept securely in banks or hidden in an unusual place, DI Warwick added.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.