A woman has been reunited with her Cartier wristwatch stolen in a burglary two years ago, following police raids across East London which have recovered valuables looted as far back as 1994.

Detectives from Tower Hamlets Crime Squad seized nearly 500 stolen items at addresses last summer, including jewellery, antiques, silverware and watches.

Many items have been identified as stolen during armed robberies on jewellers and in burglaries and thefts across the South East going back 18 years—totalling �500,000 in value.

Also seized were several air rifles and a pump action 308 Remington rifle.

The Cartier belonging to the 49-year-old woman was returned when she contacted police following a media appeal, after former Arsenal footballer Laureano Bisan-Etame Mayer was reunited with a Rolex taken when his home was burgled in 2005.