Officers from Essex Police are investigating a string of burglaries at Tesco petrol stations.

The first break-in occurred at the Tesco petrol station in Harlow on Friday August 3.

A spokesman for the police service said: “We are investigating a burglary at a petrol station in Harlow. We received reports that entry had been forced into the petrol station on Church Langley Way shortly after 1.15am on Friday and a number of cigarettes had been stolen.”

Officers were next called to reports of a burglary at the Tesco petrol station in Saffron Walden in the early hours of Monday August 6.

The break-in happened at the petrol station in Radwinter Road sometime between 12.15am and 12.40am, and it is reported that cigarettes worth hundreds of pounds were taken.

Police are also investigating a burglary at the Tesco petrol station in Dunmow on Stortford Road, which happened around 12.45am on the same morning, during which cigarettes were also stolen.

Essex Police said officers were not currently linking the incidents but were keeping “an open mind”.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously.