A man has been arrested in connection with two burglaries and a theft.

Police were first called in February to reports a man had falsely used a bank card belonging to an elderly woman, withdrawing around £400 from her account.

On March 25, officers were called to a burglary at an address in Penwortham, where watches, jewellery, and electrical equipment worth around £12,000 were taken, along with around £1,000 in cash.

On Monday, April 15, they were called to an address in Walton-le-Dale, where the occupants of the house disturbed a man who ran from the scene.

Today, Wednesday, April 17, a 50-year-old man from Preston was arrested by the south residential burglary team and is currently in custody being questioned on suspicion of burglary in a dwelling and fraud by false representation.

Lancashire Police’s Operation Defender is a force-wide campaign to crack down on residential burglary.

It aims to locate and arrest offenders, take positive action to reduce residential burglary through crime prevention advice, and to safeguard and support victims of crime.