Watch
out for the oldies!
Police in East Cheshire are reminding residents to look out for
elderly and vulnerable neighbours during the summer months.
Historically, reports of bogus callers increase during this time
as unscrupulous thieves take advantage of the need for garden
work and odd jobs around the outside of the home, such as cleaning
gutters, to be carried out.
Detective Inspector Nigel Groom head of the Eastern Burglary
Unit said: "Normally, we may get 1 or 2 gardening incidents
a month. Since the nice weather in April and May this has risen
to 8 reported instances across the force.
"This year's good weather has come earlier which gives more
opportunities for the rogue traders to ply their bogus trade."
Scams tend to include asking for cash up front and only carrying
out half the work, or asking to cut trees down and distracting
the householder while another sneaks into the house to steal money
and cards.
In Crewe at the beginning of this month a group of men offered
to cut the hedge and lawn for £225 for a 57-year-old woman who
is partially sighted. The woman declined but agreed a fee of £90.
The men left after completing only half of the lawn and not cutting
any of the hedge. The same men approached a neighbour who is in
his 80's. Once again completed only half a job and made off with
£103.
In Sandbach a man knocked on the door of a woman in her 80's and
told her she was due to have her path redone by the council. As
she was talking to the man who had been invited in she heard someone
upstairs. The thieves escaped with a quantity of cash.
Insp Groom said: "If you see anyone acting suspiciously in
your area, contact the police. And if you have elderly or vulnerable
neighbours or relatives, keep an eye on them to ensure they aren't
being targeted by the bogus callers."
Thank you,
JANE THIRSK
Watch Officer
Cheshire Police
Macclesfield Neighbourhood Policing Team 0845 458 6371
Police non-emergency number: 101
Other Homewatch pages of current relevance: Briefs (recent
crimes in the Macclesfield Division including Bollington, Kerridge
and Pott Shrigley).
If you haven't looked at the homewatch pages before we recommend
looking at the homewatch home page.
