Conmen with London accents forced their way into OAP’s home

Police blast ‘despicable’bogus callers as they launch hunt

Two crooks with London accents forced their way into a Renfrewshire pensioner’s home in a frightening bogus caller incident.

The callous pair claimed they needed access to the 76- yearold man’s home in Berl Avenue, Houston, to check the water supply between 7.30pm and 8pm on Thursday.

It’s understood one suspect distracted the man while the other went upstairs where he was confronted by family members.

The pair legged it from the scene and now cops have launched a manhunt to capture them before they attempt to strike again.

The first man is described as white, aged in his 50s, around 5ft 7ins tall, and of a medium build with short, dark-coloured hair. He wore a black facemask.

The second male is described as white, around 30-years-old, of a thin build with a very gaunt face and prominent eyes.

He was wearing a black snood and black beanie hat.

Both spoke with a London accent, however it is not known if these were genuine or an attempt to disguise their identity.

Inspector Damian Kane of Renfrewshire Community Police, urged people to come forward if they think they have been approached by the suspects.

He said: “People who target elderly members of the community in their own homes are despicable.

“It is totally unacceptable to leave people feeling vulnerable in their own home. These two men must be caught.”

He added: “It may be that there are other people in the local area who have been approached by these men, who haven’t yet come forward to police.

“If you have had someone at your door recently that you are unsure of, or if a relative or friend has informed you of an incident, we would like to hear from you.

“These men may not be local to the area, and we are carrying out enquiries to establish more information on them.

“I would ask people to be vigilant and if they see anyone acting suspiciously, then contact police.

“Anyone with dashcam footage or private CCTV in the area of Berl Avenue from Thursday evening is urged to contact us as it may hold information that will help our investigation.”

Call Paisley CID on 101 quoting reference 3402 of 20 May, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, anonymously.

It is totally unacceptable to leave people feeling vulnerable in their own home