Detectives in Leicester believe two break-ins at petrol stations in the city on the morning of Tuesday 9 April could be linked.

The first incident happened in Saffron Road shortly after 1am. Police were alerted when a monitored alarm at the premises was activated, while a call was also made from a member of the public.

A group of men smashed a window and stole cigarettes before leaving the scene in a grey or silver hatchback car.

The second incident happened in Melton Road at around 2.10am. A group of men were seen to smash a window and go into the petrol station before leaving in a grey or silver car. A quantity of cigarettes were stolen.

Detective sergeant Horatio Wright said: “From the information we have received so far, I believe that the two offences may be linked.

“I would ask anyone who was in the area of either Saffron Road or Melton Road in the early hours of this morning to come forward if you saw anything suspicious.

“In particular, I’d like taxi drivers or anyone who has dashcams installed in their vehicles to check for any footage that may have been recorded. Any information you have could help with our investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting crime number 19000179401 (Saffron Road) or 19000179397 (Melton Road).