One of Islington’s top cops has issued a warning following a spate of residential burglaries in Holloway.

Det Ch Insp David Hutcheson said there were around 10 break-ins around the area in the space of five days from August 9.

Homes in Hornsey Road, Tollington Park, Tufnell Park Road, North Road and Holloway Road were all targeted in the burglaries, which coincided with the recent hot weather.

Det Ch Insp Hutcheson said that the items that were stolen were largely electrical, including laptops, and that in most cases the thieves gained entry through open windows.

He urged residents to keep windows and doors shut where ever possible in hot weather, and to use fans to keep cool instead.

He added: “There’s a 20 per cent reduction at present in burglaries in Islington and this is just a small increase which indicates to me that somebody has moved to the area that has potentially been released from prison.”

Det Ch Insp Hutcheson said one of the suspects, who was seen making off from a property in Tufnell Park Road on August 9 at around 10pm, was described as a white male of around 16 years of age.

Anyone with any information can contact Islington Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.