Doorstep crime success

A four-month crackdown against doorstep crime in Lanarkshire has been hailed a success.

Police and Trading Standards officials in North and South Lanarkshire joined forces between May 1 and August 30 in a bid to target doorstep crime.

Twelve men were arrested during the project and reported to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with alleged fraud offences amounting to £370,000.

Trading Standards officers also took action against eight people who breached the Enterprise Act 2002, with the offences amounting to almost £200,000.

The team also worked together to combat other types of crime including visits to shops in Lanarkshire, where over £150,000 worth of counterfeit goods were recovered.

One woman was subject to a report to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with that recovery.

Prevention was also a key theme of the project.

The team delivered educational inputs to a number of financial institutes and community groups, to promote the use of the recently launched banking protocol and give reassurance that swift action will be taken on this type of crime.

Detective Inspector Colin Campbell who heads up the Operation Doric team said:“The support from our partner agencies at North and South Lanarkshire Council is essential in the fight against crime.

“This secondment has again shown how joint working and intelligence gathering can really impact our commitment to reducing crime.

“The team undertook joint operational activity using both agencies powers to target those involved in doorstep and counterfeit crimes.

“We will continue to work together to gather intelligence, carry out joint operations and educational events, whilst sharing good practice.”

“The people who commit doorstep crime are despicable.They deliberately target elderly and vulnerable people and defraud them of their life savings.

“If someone attends at your door, and you are not expecting them, don’t let them in.”