FOUR men have been arrested in a series of dawn raids as police swooped on a gang suspected of stealing from schools across the north west.

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Detectives had drawn up a hit list of seven men they believe to be involved in a conspiracy to burgle schools across the region.

They focused on 12 break-ins but have now expanded their inquiries to 26 burglaries at schools, social clubs and commercial premises.

After weeks of gathering intelligence officers moved in on the gang at 6am yesterday.

Four men, aged 25, 25, 29 and 37, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary.

Police made arrests after raiding houses in Scowcroft Road, Tonge Moor, Broad Oak Road, Farnworth and Pear Tree Grove, Farnworth.

The fourth man, who is from Breightmet, was arrested later after he handed himself in at a police station.

After the arrests, detectives searched AutoWorld, a car and mobile phone parts business in Tonge Moor Road.

Police said nothing relevant to the investigation was found, but laptops and iPads linked to schools have been found on previous raids at the shop.

Two of the seven men on the police's list of suspects are already in custody for other matters, while one is still being hunted.

Last week, an underwater search team dredged the River Tonge, where they found a safe that police think may be related to the inquiry.

Det Insp Charlotte Cadden, head of the serious and organised crime unit in Bolton, said: "The positive action we have taken today is the first phase in a complex investigation into a conspiracy to burgle a large number of schools and social clubs across Greater Manchester.

"The assistance we have had from the public has been significant, as residents realise the harm that those responsible are doing to our local communities who don't want their children's education affected.

"These burglaries have also made those responsible significant amounts of money from the sale of stolen school property, some of which contains pupils' exam work."