Woman targeted by distraction burglars
THOUSANDS of pounds have been stolen from a pensioner in a suspected distraction burglary.
Police said they are looking for three men who were in a grey or silver Saab car with ladders on the roof and a logo on the front in connection with the incident.
Detective Inspector Andy Paddison has urged people in Bridgend “to be on their guard, and to refuse entry to doorstep callers” after they were called to High View, near Penybont Primary.
Police said a 77-yearold woman was visited by two men at around 5pm last Wednesday, July 19, who claimed they were working on a leak in a neighbouring property.
A third man is thought to have waited outside in the car.
They said the woman was told her property could also be affected and they could repair the damage.
Having agreed to pay a small deposit, police said one man took her into the garden while another waited inside.
After they left she discovered thousands of pounds had been stolen.
Officers are now appealing to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area, or who has information which may assist with the investigation, to get in touch.
Det Insp Paddison said: “Distraction burglaries are particularly cruel crimes, with the perpetrators often preying upon society’s most vulnerable, duping them with wellrehearsed and convincing stories.
“Patrols have been stepped up in the area in order to provide reassurance to residents and any concerns should be reported to officers out in the community, via 101 or 999 in an emergency.”
The two men who called at the house are described as white, clean shaven and in their mid 20s. The first was of slim build, around 5ft 10in, with short “fair brown hair”.
He was wearing dark trousers and a white Tshirt with a coloured pattern on the front.
The second man was stockier and around 5ft 8in, wearing a black baseball hat with short trousers and a dark top with a pattern on the front.
Anyone with information is urged to contact 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 1700281151.