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| Hampshire Constabulary logo |
Police in the New Forest have renewed their warning to residents
to remain vigilant and aware following a further distraction
burglary.
At 10.30pm on Friday, September 8, a bogus ‘Water
Board’ official
called at the Court Close home of a 96-year-old Lymington woman.
The
woman was sitting in her lounge when a man came in through the
patio doors.
He claimed to be dealing with a flood in a neighbouring
property and told her he needed to check upstairs for leaks.
He then came down and told the woman to do the same while he
checked downstairs.
When she came back downstairs, the man had
disappeared and the woman noticed he had searched all rooms in
the house, although nothing appears to have been stolen.
The man
is described as
- White,
- 5ft 5ins to 5ft 7ins tall
- Proportionate build,
- Round face
- Short mid brown hair
- He was wearing a grey suit (jacket and trousers), and spoke
with an English accent.
A police spokesperson said:
“This is the latest in a series
of similar offences recently committed across the area of West
Hampshire. We urge all members of the public to exercise extreme
caution when dealing with unexpected visitors to their homes,
especially late into the evening.
The people who commit
these crimes sound very credible and use convincing tactics to
mislead occupants into letting them into their homes.
Under
no circumstances should residents allow anyone into their homes
unless they are absolutely certain that they are genuine and
only then after they have thoroughly checked and verified identification.”
Anyone
with information that will assist the police in identifying the
offender should contact Ringwood CID by phoning 0845 045 45 45
or the anonymous Crimestoppers line 0800 555 111. |
