Hundreds of items recovered following burglaries in Uttlesford are to go on show at a police station in an attempt to trace the owners.

Detectives believe that up to 300 of the recovered items could have been taken during breaks-ins in the Uttlesford district throughout December.

Most of the recovered property was jewellery but many electrical items, including hair straighteners, video cameras, USB sticks, hard drives, iPods, laptops, cameras and mobile phones, were also recovered.

The items will go on display at Saffron Walden police station on February 20 and the victims of 28 burglaries have been invited to the viewing in the hope of identifying them.

The burglaries happened in the Saffron Walden, Clavering, Littlebury and Stansted areas, including several which were carried out on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The items were found when police questioned two men waiting to catch a cross-Channel ferry at Dover on December 29.

Kent police have charged the men with a number of burglary offences and will be sending the so-far unidentifiable items to Essex.

Investigating officer, DS Becky Young, said: “With so many items to return to their rightful owners we decided that the quickest way was hold a viewing for people who have been the victim of recent burglaries.

“We are confident that many of the items seized at Dover are from homes in Uttlesford and we are keen to get them back to the owners as soon as possible. Extensive forensic work is currently being carried out on the items as part of the overall investigation into burglaries in our area.”

Detectives have also released photographs of two men believed to have been seen in suspicious circumstances near Clavering on January 17.

A neighbour called police after seeing two men in the garden of a property at Starling’s Green at about 5pm. Officers from Essex and Hertfordshire carried out a widespread search of the area but the suspects escaped from the area. Enquiries are continuing.

Extra patrols are being carried out following the series of burglaries during December.

Anyone who can identify the two men, or has information about their whereabouts, should contact officers at Braintree CID on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111