The first burglary occurred on Monday, September 20, the three others happened the following day, Tuesday, September 21.

All four properties were unoccupied but contained power tools owned by contractors who were working at the properties at the time. A total of around £20,000 worth of tools have been taken from the properties.

Some of the contractors working on the properties were approached by three Asian men in a Mercedes Sprinter car offering to buy scrap metal in the days before the burglaries.

A police spokesperson said: “If you saw anything suspicious in the area around these dates and times, or have any information which could help our investigation, including doorbell or CCTV footage or information about the scrap metal collectors which might be relevant, please contact us quoting PR/45210100199 via:

• Webchat on our website surrey.police.uk
• Online https://www.surrey.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/
• Calling us on 101

“If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“In addition to appealing for witnesses, officers would like to remind residents how to help keep unoccupied properties safe from burglars. Some tips are included below:

• Try to make the property look occupied by leaving a night light on overnight, or by opening and drawing curtains in the morning and at night time
• Collect post to avoid visible piles near the front door which may indicate that the property is empty
• Ask neighbours to park on the drive, if there is one
• Speak to a trusted neighbour and ask them to keep an eye on the property
• If there are valuables in the house such as tools and equipment, keep them hidden overnight.

“For more information on how to help keep your property safe from burglars, visit our website.”