Eight gang members have been arrested on suspicion of murder, after an elderly Wiltshire man died when a burglary went wrong.

Reginald Baker, 75, had reportedly been targeted by cold-caller thieves last month.

Yesterday, intruders broke into his £300,000 bungalow in what police believe was an attempted burglary. There were scuff marks by the front door, indicating a forced entry, and the house was ransacked.

Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, from Wiltshire police, said Baker suffered a “serious, violent assault” in the daylight robbery of his home in Landford, near Salisbury.

Neighbours heard suspicious noises, and approached two men parked outside on the street in a grey Peugeot 405.

But two other men came running out of the house and leapt in the car, which sped off. It was sighted near Bournemouth an hour later.

Inside the house, Mr Baker was found dead.

Overnight, police arrested eight men in locations across Witshire and Dorset.

Fulcher said the arrested gang members, most of whom are in their 20s, had a criminal history.

“This was a particularly disturbing offence and I’m putting all the resources available to me into this investigation,” he said.

“I feel for the family of the victim and officers are working with them to help them over the trauma.”

He appealed for information about the movements of the Peugeot (registration M862 LON), a red Land Rover (registration L921 RFJ) and a white Fiat Scudo van (registration HG51 FTX).

Police are sending additional patrols to Landford to reassure residents, and want to hear from from any other people who have had cold-callers come to their doors recently.

Fulcher said: ”Tragedies such as this have a very real impact on communities and some people feel less secure as a result of them, which is very understandable.”

Baker had no children or wife, but police said he had a wide family network and they were deeply distressed.

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