Art déco door handles were stolen from a block of flats.

Burnham Court in Brent Street, Hendon, has been burgled three times, with the perpetrators stealing brass door handles, kick plates and some of the number plaques from front door entrances.

The handles - 40 of which were stolen in two separate burglaries between December 18 and January 10 - were art déco in style, and believed to date back to the 1930s.

The third burglary of six kick plates and some number plaques took place during the week of January 15.

Simone Simmons, who lives in the block, said: “I was very angry because it makes you feel quite vulnerable.

“Some people here are very scared, especially the older people in the block.”

A spokesman from Engel Jacobs, who manage the blocks, said: “Naturally we will avoid replacing the handles like for like in order to prevent a repeat of the same theft.

“The replacement handles will be in the form of a standard brass pull handle.

“As they are a common type, the likelihood of theft should be minimal in comparison to the stolen art décor brass handles.

“The handles will also be installed with security fixings to deter future thefts.”

The police were called on each of the three occasions once it had been discovered that the handles were missing.

CCTV footage from the block was supplied to the police of the second incident, and enquiries are still ongoing.

No arrests have been made.