TAMWORTH police are urging residents to secure their homes after a string of break-ins and thefts overnight targeting elderly residents.
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At 12.15am this morning an 82-year-old woman in East Tamworth was woken by thieves who stole the keys of her Toyota Corolla.
The vehicle was taken from her Angela St home and was later recovered in Sue Crescent, West Tamworth.
A 95-year-old woman living in West Tamworth was also left distressed after being the victim of a break-in between the hours of 9.30pm yesterday and 12.30am this morning.
Thieves entered the Park St residence through a window and entered the bedroom of the woman who was sleeping.
The persons removed a wallet from a drawer and stole jewellery, including two rings and a gold wedding band, which the woman said had sentimental value.
Also on Thursday morning at 3.30am, two Hillview Rd residents in their 70s were at home when an unknown number of persons entered through a window at the front of the premises and stole a wallet and the keys to a Camry station wagon.
The vehicle was taken from the residence and later involved in a police pursuit which began just after 4am when police noticed the vehicle's driver had failed to give way at a Bourne St intersection.
Tamworth police pursued the vehicle for six minutes at speeds of up to 100km/hr in 60km/hr zone but the driver managed to evade police.
The vehicle was later located in Matheson St, West Tamworth.
At 1am this morning a 62-year-old occupant of a unit on Goonoo Goonoo Rd was asleep when she was woken by an unknown number of intruders in her bedroom.
A mobile phone and amount of cash was stolen from her purse during the incident.
Sergeant Josh McKenzie of the Tamworth police said that detectives from the Target Action Group (TAG) unit were investigating the incidents.
Sergeant McKenzie said the incidents could be related but was unsure whether the breakins were the work of just one group or a number of groups operating across the Tamworth area.
He reminded all Tamworth residents to make sure their homes were secure before going to bed at night.