Police hunt distraction thief who targeted 86-year-old (From The Northern Echo)
For details on how to contact our editorial and commercial departments, click here
Police hunt distraction thief who targeted 86-year-old
11:56am Wednesday 20th February 2013 in News
By Joe Willis, Regional Chief Reporter
POLICE are hunting a doorstep conman who stole precious jewellery from a Yorkshire Dales pensioner.
The man called at the home of an 86-year-old woman in Bainbridge, near Hawes, at about 10.50am on Tuesday.
He claimed the woman had a leak and asked her to turn on her kitchen taps. He then claimed he needed to go upstairs and turn on the bathroom taps.
The woman followed him upstairs and saw him coming out of her bedroom.
After the man left, she discovered jewellery had been stolen including two gold rings, one sapphire and diamond and one ruby, and a gold locket.
The suspect is described as white, aged in his 40s and wearing a black jacket with the hood up.
He was wearing dark coloured trousers and was carrying a black or navy shoulder bag.
Police carried out house-to-house enquiries in the area today (Wednesday).
Inspector Mark Gee, from Richmondshire Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “This type of crime is one of the most cowardly and despicable crimes we deal with.
“Our advice to residents is not to answer your door to cold callers at all. And do not, under any circumstances, allow them into your home.
“We also appeal to relatives, friends and neighbours to reassure older people that it is not impolite to say no to callers and to refuse to answer their door if they do not know who is calling.”
Anyone with any information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Northallerton CID.
Alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org
More Crime News
- Darlington business partners in court over stolen car parts
- Woman jailed for threat to kill husband
- Three arrests after man injured in suspected assault
- Police force reviews officers' dealings with Savile
- Teenage driver who killed pedestrian in Stokesley locked up for five years and is named
- Driver, 60, dies after collision with single decker bus
- Watchdog asks North Yorkshire Police for details of links to Savile
- Driver, 60, dies after collision with single decker bus
- Man suffered leg and face injuries in nightclub attack
- Two jailed for their part in cash-for-crash insurance scam
