Elderly woman falls victim to distraction burglary at home in Great Cornard

A vulnerable woman aged in her 90s fell victim to a distraction burglary in Great Cornard, after she was deceived at her home by a cold calling rogue trader.

The theft occurred at a property in Canhams Road on Wednesday, between 10.30am and 11.15am, when the woman answered her door to an unknown man, who asked her if she wanted him to cut her hedges.

After declining the offer, the woman allowed the man inside, after he told her he was related to somebody she knew.

The man asked the victim to put the kettle on and go out into the garden to discuss the work, before leaving via the front door, claiming he would return the following day to trim the hedge, and driving away in a white flat-bed type van, which had a flower pattern on the side.

During the visit, the man stole a purse containing cash from a handbag, another small purse with money inside and a further amount of cash.

He has been described as standing around six feet tall, aged in his late 20s to early 30s, clean shaven and with short light-coloured hair.

The suspect was wearing light blue-coloured trousers, a light blue long sleeve top with writing on the front and down the sleeve, and a light blue hat.

Anybody who has information about the burglary is asked to get in touch with DC Andrew George at West CID, by calling 101, quoting the incident reference number 37/40372/19.

Alternatively, contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555111, or via their online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Following the theft, Suffolk Constabulary has also warned people to be wary of rogue traders, and to never let someone into your home if you are not comfortable with who they are.

Residents are also urged to look out for their neighbours, especially the elderly, who may be particularly vulnerable to bogus callers or rogue traders.

Police say you should always ask for unexpected callers to provide identification, stating that any genuine trader will not mind waiting while you carry out appropriate checks to make sure they are legitimate.

For additional advice regarding cold callers, go online to www.suffolk.police.uk/sites/suffolk/files/coldcallers.pdf.