Three people - one aged 82 - attacked by burglars in their Derbyshire homes

At around 8pm last night, the couple - who are in their 60s - heard a knock at the door of their home in Broad Lane, Hodthorpe, and answered it to find a group of five men outside.

The offenders barged in and demanded cash and jewellery from the couple.

They hit the man in the face and kicked his wife before taking gold jewellery.

Police are investigating whether this crime is linked to a similar one which happened at around 6.30pm on Saturday.

An 82-year-old man heard a knock at the door of his home in Sheffield Road, Creswell and opened it to three men, who walked into the house.

They kicked and punched him while demanding money.

They took watches, cash and some jewellery.

TOP TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP SAFE

► If someone comes to your door, always check who it is before opening. Look through a window or spy hole in the front door, if you have one;

► If you are not expecting a visitor, consider whether or not you want to answer the door;

► Make sure your windows and doors are locked;

► Install lights outside your front and back doors. These can either be on permanently during the hours of darkness or they could be motion-activated;

► Keep shrubbery and hedges at the front pruned to below one metre to remove cover for a burglar and allow visibility by neighbours;

► Don't leave valuable items on display.

Anyone with information about the Hodthorpe crime should call DS Steve Warren on 101, quoting reference 17000520948. To pass on information about the Creswell incident, call DC Woodcock, quoting reference 17000514363.