A man woke to be confronted by a burglar during a raid on a home in Chattenden at the weekend.

Police are investigating three break-ins at Elmwood Road early on Saturday.

One of the thieves fled after disturbing one of his victims who was sleeping in the front room.

The thieves grabbed cash, handbags, cigarettes and an iPod Touch from two of the houses and keys to a Mini One and a Suzuki motorbike from a third, which they used to escape.

The intruders are believed to have entered through the front doors, which in two of the cases were not properly secured.

DC Sean Wareham said: "There are plenty of simple measures that you can take to minimise your risk of being a victim of crime and keeping yourself and your property safe."

His advice is to ensure that householder do not leave valuables anywhere where it can be seen through a window and to properly lock doors and windows at night.

The robberies occurred between 1am-6am on Saturday. The police urge anyone with information about these burglaries to contact officers as a priority on 01634 792682, or alternatively, if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.