Warning as resort hit by spate of burglaries
ASPATE of break-ins around Southport has prompted police to issue a warning to residents.
Between January 19 and February 2 there were burglaries in Sussex Road, Ashdown Close, Wennington Road, Cobden Road, two in Guildford Road and a shed broken into in Hereford Road.
They included one property which was left vulnerable to thieves and one which was an attempted burglary.
A car, car keys and a bike were among items stolen.
Many cars have also been broken into in locations including the Promenade, Queens Road, Cambridge Road, Sussex Road, Crowland Street, Beach Priory Gardens, Balmoral Drive, Lord Street, Coronation Walk, Virginia Street, Princes Street, Southbank Road, Heysham Road, and London Street.
Some vehicles were left unlocked and some had parts stolen.
In the early hours of Thursday, January 23 grille guards were stolen from two vans within hours of each other, along with headlights and a sports bag form one of them.
Community Policing Inspector Graham Fisher said: “I’d appeal to anyone who has seen suspicious behaviour in the area on those nights to come forward, both with any descriptions, home CCTV or dash-cam which may have been activated by such activity.
“There are also a few steps you can take to prevent being an easy target.
“Don’t leave valuables or other visible items on display in your vehicles, fit good locks and alarms on both vehicles and homes, and these areas will quickly become difficult for criminals to operate.”
Police are also warning about scams in the area.
Over a period of time one man received correspondence supposedly from PayPal stating that he owed £950 and was also over the credit limit by £33.95.
Because he didn’t have
PayPal account he
a ignored the correspondence, but received more than 20 of the notifications.
He then received an information letter, headed as sent from FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) warning him not to ignore the arrears notices he had received and with advice on ways of paying a debt.
The resident received further letters from a debt collecting service stating the amount owed was £983.95 and offering him help to resolve the problem.
All the letters looked convincing.
The resident contacted PayPal and it was confirmed that he did not have an account with them and therefore owed no money. None of the correspondence had been sent by PayPal.
A conman also preyed on a pensioner after claiming to be from a glazing company and came to survey her house in the dark.
The 80-year-old had received a cold call from a man who then arrived at her house at 5.30pm.
He informed her she needed work doing on tiles, the porch and windows and gave her a quote of £27,000.
He told her that if she paid a deposit of £7,950 he could drop the price of the work to £15,800.
The woman eventually paid him £3,950 via her bank card to get him to leave her property. He left at 10.35pm.
A spokesperson for Merseyside police said: “If any person wishes to have work done it is suggested careful consideration is given when choosing a reputable company, recommendations from someone they trust is always a good start.
“Everyone has the right to say ‘no’ to any cold caller who appears at their door.”