DETECTIVES suspect the same gang of burglars targeted a house and restaurant within minutes in Sandiway, near Northwich.

Intruders forced their way into a house on Chester Road and stole a stash of expensive items.

After ransacking the property they escaped with cash, designer handbags and a diamond ring.

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The break-in happened between 7.15pm and 7.40pm on Friday, November 12, near Dalefords Lane traffic lights.

Two minutes later, a black Volkswagen Golf, parked outside the Jade Buddha restaurant.

Three men, all in dark clothing, got out of the car while the driver waited in the vehicle.

The trio went to the back of the premises and forced their way inside.

Two of the men then stole a large quantity of cash from an office, while the third man acted as a lookout.

The trio then fled the scene five minutes later, in the same car, which was later spotted travelling towards Warrington on the A49.

DC Lara Hill of Northwich CID said:“Enquiries in relation to these incidents are ongoing and we are committed to doing all we can to identify the people responsible for these incidents.

“From our initial enquiries we do believe that both burglaries were committed by the same offenders.

“The A556 is a busy road and as part of our investigation we are keen to hear from anyone who was passing through the area between 7.15pm and 7.50pm and believes they may have witnessed anything suspicious or unusual.

“The same goes for anyone with any dashcam footage.

“We would also like to hear from the driver of a white van which was spotted in the driveway of the house around the time of the burglary.

“The same goes for the occupants of a silver Range Rover who parked outside the restaurant around the time of the incident and may have seen the offenders fleeing the property.

“I’d urge anyone with any information, no matter how small, to contact the team here at Northwich on 101 quoting IML 1410850.”

Information can also be reported online at cheshire.police.uk/tell-us, or anonymously at Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.