The man, thought to be aged in his late teens or twenties, is known to have called at homes in the Soulton Road area of the town on both Tuesday and Wednesday last week.

He offered to do gardening maintenance and in particular, to cut hedges. His visits coincided with a burglary at the Soulton Road home of a couple in their eighties who were on holiday at the time.

Jewellery worth several thousand pounds, including a ruby ring, emerald ring, a sapphire ring with matching pendant, a string of pearls and a Sekonda watch in a presentation box were stolen from a bedroom.

The burglary happened between 11.30am on Wednesday and 12pm Thursday after entry was gained by forcing the front door.

Detective Sergeant Andy Chatting said: “We know a young man called at a number of homes on both sides of the road on Wednesday afternoon offering to cut hedges or to carryout other work. It appears he was also in the same area the previous day.

“Until we know otherwise, we are treating him as a suspect but it’s possible he was a genuine caller. Therefore, we are urging him to contact the Burglary Unit at Shrewsbury police station by calling 101 so he can be eliminated from our enquiries.

“We would also like to hear from any other residents not already spoken to, both from Wem and other towns or villages in north Shropshire, who have recently been approached by one or more strangers offering garden maintenance.”

He said if the “gardener” was not genuine, he may have been operating in other parts of the region such as Whitchurch or Market Drayton areas. “We want people to pass on information to us about such callers and the vehicles they are using.

“But if the man in the Wem incident was a genuine gardener, then I would ask him to contact us.”

DS Chatting added that police advice was not to accept offers of work on the home or garden by strangers knocking at the door. “If you need a job doing, contact a local tradesperson so you know they are genuine when they arrive and are likely to quote a fair price.”

Information can also be given to the anonymous Crimestoppers charity by calling 0800 555 111 for which a reward may be paid.