POLICE investigating a series of burglaries in which £250,000 of property was stolen have raided homes in East Dorset and Ringwood.

The search warrants were carried out on Wednesday, January 16, at Fitzpain Road in West Parley and Southampton Road in Ringwood, as well as at four properties in Southampton, and five men aged 31, 29, 27, 26 and 22 were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary.

The men, who were all from Southampton, are being interviewed by detectives in custody.

The arrests were part of Hampshire Police's Operation Rhapsody, targeting 30 burglaries in which high value electrical goods were stolen, which took place between May 1 and October 26 last year in Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex.

Three other Southampton men arrested in Dorset as part of the operation on October 26 last year have been charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

Barry Kayley, 31, of Webburn Gardens, Max Alexander, 22, of Nelson Road, and Robert Yeo, 30, of Hollybrook Road, are on remand to appear for trial on April 15, at a venue to be confirmed.