There has been a spate of gas cylinder thefts from villas in the Monte Rosa Gardens neighbourhood in San Ġwann over the past few days.

A number of residents said people in the area had their gas cylinders stolen from driveways or front gardens. Despite most of the containers being chained, the thieves managed to break them loose and take them.

One resident said he had two gas cylinders stolen on Thursday afternoon, including one connected to the kitchen hob. The other was a spare. The two were covered by plants.

Another resident said his cylinders were stolen from the inner part of the driveway although the gate was closed. The two cylinders were chained and padlocked.

Police sources said they had witnessed a surge in gas cylinder theft reports filed by residents in Monte Rosa Gardens. Seven reports were filed over the past week alone.

The investigations involve analysing hours of footage of closed circuit TV cameras to apprehend what the police believe to be a gang of thieves.