BURGLARS have struck eight times on the same street in just a few hours.
The thieves targeted Aberdeen Street, off Holderness Road, east Hull, in a three-and-a-half-hour stealing spree.
Police say they believe the same offenders are responsible for the crimes, which took place between 11pm on Monday and 2.30am on Tuesday.
Power tools, fishing equipment and a granddaughter wall clock were among the items stolen from the eight sheds that were broken into.
Detective Inspector Jon Cross, of Hull's priority crime team, said: "This is a serious incident, with numerous sheds being targeted over a short time, causing distress and inconvenience for the victims.
"We would really like to catch those responsible and bring them to justice and need the public's help to do so.
"If anyone has any information on who may have committed the offence or have details about the whereabouts of the property, they are urged to call the police."
Officers have conducted house-to-house enquiries along the street and have offered crime prevention advice to the victims.
Shed and garage burglary is one of the fastest growing crimes in the city, with 2,771 break-ins between April last year and March this year.
This compares with 2,423 during the previous year – a rise of 14.4 per cent.
The number of sheds and garages that are broken into traditionally rises during the warmer months, as more people are making use of them.
Residents are now being urged to ensure their sheds and the property within them are secure.
PC Andy Allen, Hull's crime preventions officer, said: "These burglaries highlight that offenders do target sheds for tools, bikes and fishing equipment, therefore it is important to check they are suitably secure.
"I would urge all shed owners to look at their sheds and assess how strong the shed is, if the locks are sufficient and whether additional security products should be invested in such as alarms, lighting or CCTV.
"If there are ways to improve the security, I would encourage them to make these improvements.
"I would also ask people to consider what they store in sheds as valuable items may be better placed in homes."
Police believe the thieves entered the houses through the rear gardens before breaking into the sheds.
They left four of them empty handed.
Anyone with information about the burglaries should call Humberside Police on 101.
