Policehunt doorstep conmen (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Policehunt doorstep conmen

6:45pm Wednesday 10th January 2007 in News By Gazette Reporter

Four elderly people were the victims of distraction burglaries that took place across north and west Wiltshire, in the space of six hours on Tuesday.

The first of the incidents occurred in Leigh, near Cricklade. at 12.15pm when a man called at the home of an elderly lady. She was in her back garden at the time and he posed as a water company official and said they needed to test the drains.

Shortly afterwards a second man offered her money for the inconvenience, but required some change. She refused. On re-entering her house she found that a search had been made of her home, and items had been stolen.

She said: "I didn't think that this would happen to me, as I am so careful normally and always keep the door locked. I only went out for a couple of minutes to the garden".

The first man is described as being white, of slim build, with mousey coloured hair, and approximately 5ft 4ins tall.

The second man is described as being white, medium build, with brownhair.

At 5.30pm, a man knocked at the door of an elderly lady's house in the Malmesbury Road area of Chippenham and claimed there had been a flood.

When asked for identification the man left saying that he would go and get his father.

He is described as being white, approximately 5' 7" tall, approximately 40 years old, stocky build, clean shaven, with short thick dark hair thought to be brushed back. He was wearing a dark jumper and dark trousers.

A similar incident took place at about twenty-to-six in the evening in Sherston, when two men knocked on the door of an elderly lady's home.

They purported to be from the water board, and stated that they needed to turn the water off as one of the bungalows in the area had been flooded. In this instance the callers did not enter the house.

One of the men is described as being round-faced, and wearing a greycoat.

Another elderly lady became the next victim at 6pm, after a man knocked at her door in Purlpit, Atworth, stating there was an emergency and that he needed to turn off her water. The man entered the kitchen, and the front door was left open. At this time, it is not believed that anything was stolen from inside the house.

A description of the man was given as a white man, approximately 5' 7" tall, with a slim build and approximately 40 years old.