People due to take part in Diwali celebrations are being warned about thieves targeting the Asian community during the festival season.

The Metropolitan Police is warning members of the Hindu community of gangs of thieves targeting gold jewellery during Diwali.

Officers say intelligence analysis shows organised crime networks are increasingly targeting family gold, which disproportionately affects Asian families in London.

Criminals regularly target elderly people in distraction burglaries.

Detective Chief Inspector Jane Corrigan, the Met lead for Operation Nugget, which is aimed at targeting gold thefts.

She says there are several simple steps people can take to lower their chances of thieves preying on them, including leaving gold at home in a safe secured to a wall or floor and those who wear valuables out cover them up so they don't draw attention to them.

People are also being encouraged to use invisible traceable liquids on their gold items which can be read under ultraviolet light and help police identify the source of stolen property.

She added: "Gold will continue to be highly desired by criminals due to the speed and anonymity with which it can currently be exchanged for large sums of cash."