A criminologist who fell victim to burglars wants to warn people following a spate of thefts that have hit Harpenden.

The Tennyson Road resident, who wishes to stay anonymous, arrived home after the bank holiday weekend to find her house had been ransacked and car stolen.

She said: “There have been burglaries in the area the last week and a half so I was half expecting it.

“I came home to find the house trashed and the car stolen. They took my laptop, Ipad, jewellery and my car.

“I said to my husband, they will come to us, what they will do is break in through the basement and they did, I just hadn’t got round to get the alarm in.

“Even I knew they would come back and I was prepared to walk up and the down the street at 3am.

“I live in a semi-detached house and my neighbour was in and no-one heard anything. You think one of them would have seen something, even someone getting into the car.”

She added: “People think that Harpenden is a safe place but I have lived here for two years and been broken into and someone across the road has been as well.

“They think it wouldn’t happen here but it does. It’s being hammered and public awareness needs to be raised about it.”

Police are investigating the burglary that occurred between 8pm on Sunday, May 3, and 1am on Monday, May 4, at the home in Tennyson Road.

Thieves gained entry by smashing a back window and an iPad, two laptops, jewellery and a blue Toyota were stolen.

Officers are also investigating two further burglaries in Cowper Road last Wednesday (May 6).

In the first incident would-be thieves tried to break into a property but were disturbed by the home-owner but in a second incident that happened at the same time and is being linked, the thieves got into the house through a back door and stole money and a Porsche.

Three other thefts also took place in the Poets Corner area of the town between May 1 and May 6.

Cards, cash and keys were stolen from a home in Milton Road, between 9.30am and 5am on Tuesday, May 5, and Wednesday, May 6, when rear patio doors were forced open.

Between 3.30pm and 9.55pm on Friday, May 1, a car was stolen from a home in Shakespeare Road after thieves forced open a back window to take its keys, while items including a purse and wallet containing cash and cards, keys and a make-up bag were taken from another property in the same road between 11pm and 7.30am overnight between May 5 and May 6.

Again thieves forced open a back window to get in.

St Albans Chief Inspector Ken Townsend urged people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour immediately. He said patrols in the area had been increased.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Herts Police on non-emergency number 101.