“DESPICABLE” thieves stole pets during a burglary spree, leaving one family devastated.

At least eight homes in Cam were targeted in the past week, with sheds raided.

There were five burglaries in Draycott Crescent on Tuesday night, while thieves raided sheds at three homes in the Box Road area overnight on Saturday.

These raids are the latest in a series of similar thefts in the area which saw outbuildings at a number of properties in Cambridge targeted.

In the most recent thefts at Draycott Crescent, six sheds at five homes were broken into with tools, bicycles and other equipment stolen.

But for the residents, the most traumatic aspect of the raids was that a number of pet rabbits and guinea pigs were stolen. Sharon Mills was among the victims, with two of her sheds broken into.

Her 14-year-old daughter Chloe, who cares for their two rabbits and five guinea pigs, noticed that something was wrong when she saw one of the animals’ cages in the middle of the garden.

“My daughter noticed one of the cages out in the middle of the garden and then I saw that the shed door was wide open,” Sharon said. “As soon as I saw it, I knew what had happened.

“Not only did they steal lots from the sheds but they took one of our rabbits and a guinea pig and let the rest out into the garden.

“It’s despicable, they must have been disturbed to have let them out into the garden – the rest could easily have been taken by foxes.”

She believes the thieves climbed over fences via a field behind their homes in order to carry out the burglaries.

In the four other shed break-ins, three rabbits were stolen along with tools, lawnmowers and bicycles.

Police have not officially linked the Draycott Crescent thefts to the three shed break-ins in Box Road, nor to seven thefts at Cambridge, but a spokesman said officers were “keeping an open mind” and would be considering the possibility that the same culprits were responsible for each crime.

Forensic investigations have taken place at the crime scenes and house-to-house enquiries have been carried out in both Box Road and Draycott Crescent so potential witnesses could pass on information. 

Police are advising residents to follow their shed security advice at gloucestershire.police.uk/staying-safe/keeping-your-home-property-safe/shed-security.