Police are urging people in Gedling borough to remain vigilant after a 91-year-old woman was targeted by distraction burglars in Bestwood.
Two males gained entry to the property in Masson Court after claiming they were carrying out work on a water leak. One male distracted the victim in the kitchen, while the other searched the bedroom. It’s not yet known if they took anything from the property.
Police have also received a number of reports of distraction burglaries in the Bulwell and Top Valley areas over recent weeks.
Detective Sgt Daniel Johnstone, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “These kinds of offenders tend to prey on the vulnerable when carrying out distraction burglaries. They are often verbally forceful when convincing innocent people of their intentions.
“I would urge people to stay vigilant when answering the door to unknown callers, as distraction burglaries can be executed in a number of forms; roofing, meter checks, gutter cleaning and water leaks. If someone is offering work that appears to be too good to be true, the chances are it is.
“I would also ask that the public look out for their elderly neighbours. If you see men approaching their property, please report this to us on 101 and where possible, note any descriptive details. We are currently investigating a number of leads and information from the public is vital in bringing these men to justice”.
“We would like to urge people to stay vigilant when answering the door to unknown callers, to pass this information onto any family members that may be vulnerable and to report any suspicious encounters to us on 101.
If you have any information about the distraction burglary in Bestwood then call 101, quoting incident number 436 of 1 June 2017.
For more advice on how to deal with unwanted encounters, please follow this link:
https://goo.gl/3HdloL
