Officers swooped on three properties in connection with a series of break-ins across the Whitby, North Yorkshire and Teesside area.

Six men and three women were arrested.

It follows an investigation into activities of burglars dubbed the "million pound gang" for the value of the property stolen.

Around £70,000 of the gang's haul is said to have been netted during more than a dozen burglaries and vehicle crimes in Whitby.

Police from the North Yorkshire, Cleveland and County Durham authorities raided two properties in Middlesbrough and one in Liverton Mines just before 8am on Monday.

They found suspected stolen property at the houses, including laptops, electrical goods, games consoles and mobile phones.

All of the suspects, aged between 24 and 51, were taken to police stations for questioning and three men currently in custody were also arrested in connection with the crimes.

The investigation centred on a number of crimes, said to have taken place between September last year and February this year. They are said to be responsible for a series of thefts of luxury cars, as well as "two-in-one" thefts in which thieves break into homes to steal property and then take the householder's car keys to steal the vehicle outside.

The Gazette reported last November how police in Whitby had written to more than 1,000 householders asking them to be extra vigilant following a spate of burglaries.

One concerned resident even wrote to the Gazette expressing his fears the town was in the grip of a crimewave.

Detective Sergeant Brian Simpson of Whitby CID was involved in the investigation which led to the recent arrests and confirmed they relate to 18 suspected crimes in Whitby.

"This has been a joint operation between ourselves, Cleveland and County Durham and we utilised forensic intelligence to plan these arrests," said DS Simpson.

"It is a positive result and gives people in Whitby some peace of mind that a number of people suspected of these crimes have been arrested."