Dozens of Roehampton University students have been robbed in their homes during a spate of break-ins.

There were 10 burglaries in Roehampton between February 5 and 12, including one involving a firearm.

On February 12 at around 11.20pm four men entered a property in Ibsley Gardens, one holding a silver handgun and stole a bag. They were described as aged 18, one wearing a blue hooded top and the others in dark casual clothing.

Earlier that evening a man in a navy jacket and dark trousers came to a property in Greatham Walk claiming to be from the water board. While the victim showed him into the kitchen his accomplice went up to the bedroom and stole valuables.

Two houses in Stroud Crescent were burgled on the night of February 10. Burglars forced the side door in one house and the rear ground floor window in another.

Sergeant Peter Salmon of Roehampton safer neighbourhood team said he was running additional patrols as part of an operation to combat burglary in the area.

He said: "The majority of the burglaries committed targeted student properties. Both the students and their landlords have been given crime prevention advice.

"There has now been a drastic decrease in the number of burglaries in the area."