Householders are being urged to be on their guard after a home burglary and attempted break-in on the same day.
Thieves struck on Wednesday between 8am and 6pm in Bridgewater Road.
At one home crooks searched the property and made off with a purse, while thieves failed to get into a second home but did smash a rear window.
Another burglary happened on Wednesday, January 30 when a shop was targeted in Tresco Road.
Det Insp Justine Jenkins said: “Whilst we investigate these incidents I would urge people to be vigilant and contact us if they witness any suspicious activity.
“These incidents occurred during the daytime so I would ask people to ensure their property is secure when leaving.
“Take extra steps to ensure all doors and windows are locked and use a timer switch on a lamp to give the impression someone is at home.
“I’d appeal to anyone who was in the area on Wednesday and thinks they may have seen suspicious activity to call in with any information they may have.”
Herts Police can be contacted on the non-emergency number 101.
Police have issued the following crime prevention advice:
-Make sure you double-lock any UPVC doors by lifting the handle and locking it before you go to bed or leave your home.
-Consider installing alarms and ‘dusk to dawn’ security lighting.
-Secure your rear garden - lock your shed, shut and lock any gates and keep fences maintained. Don’t leave ladders and tools outside - they could be used by a burglar to get into a property.
-Use timer switches on lamps to give the impression somebody is at home.
-Keep all loose valuables out of sight of any would-be thieves.
-Don’t leave any boxes outside your home that advertise to thieves what’s available in your property. Where possible, keep your wheelie bin a good distance behind the gate or fence to prevent it being used to get into the garden.
-Postcode marking your valuables with a UV pen and registering them on a free property database like www.immobilise.com can work as a deterrent to thieves and can increase the chances of your property being recovered if it is stolen.