Violent Tyrone burglaries linked to latest ransacking of Derry homes

Police believe the ransacking of two houses in Derry on Tuesday may have been linked to burglaries in Tyrone in which a shotgun was stolen and a homeowner attacked with an iron bar.

The PSNI want to speak to three or four males seen driving around the North West in a southern-registered, black Audi car on the evening of three incidents in Tempo, Omagh and Derry earlier this week.

Detective Inspector Trevor Stevenson said: “We are very interested to talk to three to four males who have been seen in the area in a southern-registered, black Audi car.

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“We believe they could help us with our enquiries into a number of incidents this week in the Tempo, Omagh and Derry areas.

“Just after 3pm on Tuesday, March 7, we received a report that a house had been ransacked and a shotgun stolen in the Glengesh Road area of Tempo.

“An hour later, a burglary in the Glencam Road area of Omagh was reported to police. At around 4.30pm, a robbery was reported in the Glen Park Road area of Omagh, during which a homeowner was assaulted with an iron bar.

“That same evening, between 6.30pm and 9.30pm, there were a further two burglaries in Derry/Londonderry - in the Sutton Grove and Lyndhurst Road areas of the city. In each location, a house was broken into, ransacked and items of value stolen.

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“There are similarities to how all these break-ins and burglaries have been carried out. And in a number of these locations, witnesses have told us they have seen a group of three to four men acting suspiciously. “They are described as being of medium build, wearing jeans and with their faces covered by baseball caps, scarves or balaclavas.