Detectives are hoping to trace the owners of a selection of distinctive jewellery found in the bag of a jailed burglar.
John Laughton was locked up for a total of five years after admitting a series of distraction break-ins across Mansfield and Ashfield.
When he was arrested by officers from the County Priority Tasking Team in Birmingham, Laughton was in possession of a bag full of jewellery.
The owners of the items have not yet been identified and detectives want to hear from anyone who can help.
Detective Sergeant Elina Falcon, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Laughton was found with a significant amount of jewellery that we have not been able to link to any of the victims we currently know about.
“We’d ask people to have a good look at these images and check them carefully.
“There is a very strong chance this collection of different and distinctive pieces of jewellery were taken from separate households.
“It would be a very satisfying conclusion to our investigation to see Laughton jailed and the owners of this suspected stolen jewellery reunited with their belongings.”
Laughton tricked his way into victims’ properties by pretending he was a courier, a police officer or was chasing after a thief.
He then stole or attempted to take items including jewellery, cash and bank cards after rifling through their belongings, during offences committed between 21 February and 4 March 2025.
Laughton, aged 56, of Co-operative Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty to a total of six burglaries, one attempted burglary and 17 counts of fraud by false representation and was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday 20 August.
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