A 14-year-old boy is among those who have been arrested following a series of burglaries in St Albans.

The boy, along with two 17-year-old boys, and a 24-year-old, were arrested after an Audi A6 was stolen from St Lawrence Way, Bricket Wood, on November 29.

The Audi has been recovered.

Andrew Rawlings, 29, from Luton, was charged with stealing a Mercedes from an address in Mount Drive, Park Street, on November 27.

The Mercedes has also been recovered.

A 41-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man were arrested in St Albans on suspicion of handling stolen goods on December 14.

A 42-year-old man was arrested in Surrey today for a series of burglaries across the Home Counties, including in Redbourn.

Det Insp Alex Warwick said: “There has been a significant rise in burglaries across the St Albans district this fortnight in Harpenden, Bricket Wood, Chiswell Green, and Fleetville.

“Unfortunately, this time of year generally sees an increase in burglaries, and St Albans is a popular target due to the excellent travel network and its reputation as an affluent area.

“The most popular time of day still appears to be afternoons and evenings when it starts to get dark.

“Cars on driveways have been stolen and jewellery has also been the property of choice.

“We have seen break-ins where windows and doors have been jemmied open and glass smashed to gain entry but also front doors have been forced,”

“The good news is there have been increased patrols, both overt and covert, and a lot of hard work by officers to prevent and detect these crimes, resulting in a number of recent arrests and property has been recovered.

“No-one wants to be burgled and the psychological impact on victims is even worse at this time of year.

“We have had valuable assistance from eagle-eyed members of the community.

“This issue is a community problem, not just a police problem, and I would urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity via 101 or the webchat facility on www.herts.police.uk

“If you see a burglary in progress don’t hesitate to call us on 999.”