A series of aggravated burglaries in Harrow and Ealing have been linked by the police, following an incident in Greenford overnight.
According to a post on the Met Police website, a group of masked men have forced entry into residential addresses and either threatened or sprayed occupants with a corrosive substance before fleeing.
The suspects are described as dressed in dark clothing and wearing balaclavas and gloves, and are believed to have fled in a dark-coloured vehicle.
A team of detectives are working around the clock to try to identify the group responsible for the incidents, which have occurred across Harrow and Ealing.
Detective Sergeant Huss Ahmed, North West Command Unit, said: “Local people have been rightly concerned following a number of incidents that have been reported online and on social media. We of course share that concern.
“We can confirm we are treating five incidents across Harrow and Ealing as linked.
“We are advising local people to be vigilant but not alarmed – stay alert to your surroundings at night, keep doors locked and windows closed, and monitor any doorbell and security camera systems to check on any suspicious activity.
“If you have information, video or images that you think could help us, it is vital that you report it to us immediately so that we can track down and arrest the poeple responsible.”
Anyone with any information is asked to report it immediately by calling 101 or tweeting @MetCC, using reference CAD8586/30Mar.
At present, there have been no arrests in connection with the incidents.