TWO men have been arrested after a woman disturbed a burglar who was in her home.

The men were arrested yesterday in relation to two burglaries in the Pickersleigh area of Malvern. During the day yesterday, between 7am and 6pm, a house on Pickersleigh Road near the junction with North End Lane was broken into via some French windows. A variety of jewellery and other small items such as medals and a silver cigarette case were stolen. Meanwhile, a woman in her teens was disturbed by a burglar who broke into a house in nearby Pickersleigh Grove. At 2.40pm the woman was having a lie down in one of the bedrooms when a man came into the room and disturbed her. He ran from the house with a Dell laptop and some jewellery he had stolen from other rooms.

Evidence supplied by the woman led officers to arrest two men – one in his teens, the other in his 60s and both from the Malvern area. They were taken into custody yesterday evening, questioned and released on police bail while investigations continue.

Detective Inspector Stuart Murphy, who leads the team that investigates burglaries in South Worcestershire, said: “I would like to hear from anyone who saw any suspciosus activity in the Pickersleigh Road area yesterday. “A blue Transit-style van was seen near by, so if anyone spotted this vehicle in suspicious circumstances we would ask for them to contact us. I would also like to speak to anyone along Pickersleigh Road and Pickersleigh Avenue who has private CCTV that we may not be aware of.”

DI Murphy can be contacted via the non-emergency police number 101 or information can be passed on anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the reference number 400s 260213.