The haul was recovered as part of an operation launched by officers in the wake of a spate of burglaries on the homes of pensioners.

Hundreds of pounds' worth of jewellery was recovered in the investigation to catch the thief who robbed elderly people.

Police have raided a house in West Leigh, Havant, and have managed to link most of the jewellery back to 18 burglaries, but there are several pieces which officers think may belong to victims who are reluctant to come forward.

Police hope more crimes can be solved if they can track the jewellery's owners.

In September the police launched an appeal in The News to identify a female thief targeting pensioners in the West Leigh area.

The woman would knock the elderly resident's door and ask to use the bathroom or request a glass of water before stealing possessions.

Forensic evidence was obtained through the appeal and that led officers to arrest a 22-year-old Havant woman in connection with the crime spree. She has been released on police bail.

Inspector Mark Hull said: 'We are linking the woman to 18 offences in the West Leigh area where distraction was used to gain entry.

'During the course of our investigation in the last two weeks, we have recovered some items of jewellery that no-one has yet claimed to be theirs.

'The items look like they would belong to an elderly person and are probably of sentimental value.

'We are looking for people to come forward and prove it belongs to them so they can have it back.

'It's not often in crimes of this kind that we can catch the person responsible and get the valuable items returned, so we are keen to do so.

'Distraction burglaries are quite prolific in Hampshire and are pretty nasty crimes, often targeting elderly people.'

If the jewellery belongs to you, call Havant CID on 0845 045 45 45.