Wiltshire Police are urging members of the public to be vigilant following a series of distraction burglaries in the Parks and Walcot areas of Swindon on Tuesday which may be linked.
- At around 3.15pm a man knocked on the door of a house in Welcombe Avenue saying he was there to fix the water pipes.
Whilst he was being shown into the kitchen, the homeowner thought he heard someone going upstairs. He later discovered that someone had stolen jewellery and cash from his bedroom cupboards.
The homeowner described a man in his 20s who is with a skinny build and short, dark unkept hair. He was wearing dark trousers and a light blue shirt.
- A similar incident took place at around 4.20pm when a man approached a woman in her garden in Shaftesbury Avenue and told her he was there to fix a burst pipe. Her daughter then found a second man upstairs searching their bedrooms.
The first man is described as being 5’9”, white and wearing a gold mask & black cap. He introduced himself as “George” and was wearing a black bomber jacket, white shirt, black trousers and Gucci belt.
The second man was of a similar height, described as being mixed race with short, dark curly hair. He was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
- A third such incident took place in Bilborough Drive in Walcot, Swindon between 3pm and 7.45pm while the homeowners were out.
A white man aged between 17-21 approached a homeowner asking if they wanted their windows cleaned. Once the homeowner left the house, the front door was forced open and some cash was stolen from a tin in one of the bedrooms.
PC Grant Hesketh from the South Central Neighbourhood Policing team said: “We are urging people to remain vigilant and never allow anyone they don’t know into their home. If you are ever suspicious or have any doubts about anyone, don’t let them in. If you have a door chain, make sure it’s on before opening the door. If they won’t leave you alone, close the door and ring somebody you trust to come and help you.”
If you saw anything suspicious or have any CCTV or Ring doorbell footage from the area at around those times, please call us on 101 quoting log 54210054910
Further crime prevention advice can be found on our website: https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/
