Residents warned of conmen spree (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Residents warned of conmen spree

9:03am Friday 23rd February 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Residents must be on their guard against conmen claiming to be water workers after five homes were targeted in two hours in the Swindon area.

Two men in dark clothing tried to talk their way into people's homes in Swindon, Wanborough and Bishopstone yesterday.

In all but one of them, the residents refused to let them in.

The first incident happened at 11.30am in Dean Street, Swindon, when two men wearing dark jackets claimed to be from the water board but were turned away.

The next was at midday in The Wyncies in Bishopstone, followed by one in Shafesbury Avenue, Swindon, at 12.30pm.

At 12.40pm they called at Studland Close in Park South, and were described as having Irish accents.

The last one happened at 1.30pm in Warneage Green, Wanborough but this time the bogus callers managed to convince the homeowner to let them inside.

It is not known at this stage whether anything was stolen.

Police are investigating whether all the incidents were carried out by the same offenders. The descriptions of the suspects put them in their 20s or 30s.