POLICE investigating the recent drive-by shootings in St Albans and Borehamwood have revealed the operation is currently the largest in the county.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Hanlon, who is leading the enquiry, has linked the shooting in Wilshere Avenue, St Albans, on Thursday, August 31, to two others in Borehamwood on August 23 and 29, disclosing that the victims are all known to each other.

The attacks have left damage to cars, windows and doors but nobody has been hurt.

DCI Hanlon said: "We've got numerous lines of enquiry which we hope will enable us to identify a suspect in the next week or so.

"We have a lot of forensic evidence from the scenes."

The silver Volkswagen Golf that gunmen shot from in the Wilshere Avenue attack is believed to be the same one used in the second Borehamwood attack.

It has also been revealed that a car shot at in one of the Borehamwood attacks was not actually the intended target and the owner is not directly linked to the group of victims.

DCI Hanlon said: "It's not about people randomly discharging fire arms in a public place. The perpetrator is targeting specific addresses.

"The impact of this cannot be overstated. We are committing a lot of officers to this investigation and it is certainly the priority in Hertfordshire at the moment."

However, he said the main difficulty with the investigation was the lack of an obvious motive and he is appealing to the public for any information, even if it's third or fourth hand.

He added: "To go around letting off live ammunition while anybody could be injured is totally reprehensible and we need the community's help in identifying who these people are."

Call 01707 354432 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

For more information regarding the Borehamwood shootings visit our sister paper www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk