Alert as conmen strike

Four victims two in Hook Norton, one in Brackley, and one in Middleton Cheney, have reported burglaries after men knocked at their doors saying they needed to work on the water system.

In Hook Norton, two houses were burgled at around 6pm on Friday, June 2. Both homes were occupied by elderly women.

Two men knocked on the doors saying they were from the water board. One distracted the householders while the other searched and stole cash.

The men were both white, one had dark hair and the other had fair hair.

They are aged 17 to 22 and were both described as "scruffy". One was wearing an orange T-shirt.

PC Alistair Thorne said: "Targeting elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes is a cowardly crime.

"I would also like to stress that elderly people should not let people, who they are not expecting, into their homes.

Anyone with any information about these incidents is asked to contact Banbury Priority Crime Team on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Meanwhile, in Northamptonshire, police are appealing for witnesses to two distraction burglaries which happened in Brackley and Middleton Cheney on Tuesday, June 6. These raids are believed to be linked.

The first incident occurred at about 1pm in Westhill Avenue, Brackley, when a man walked into the home of a 90-year-old man saying he was from the water board.

Police believe nothing was stolen.

The second incident happened at around 2.30pm in The Avenue, Middleton Cheney, where two men called at the home of a woman, who is in her 70s. Again they said they were water board workers.

One man stayed in the kitchen with the householder, while the other went upstairs on the pretence of carrying out work.

Later, the woman discovered cash had been stolen.

One of the offenders was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt and light brown trousers, and the other was wearing a black bomber-style jacket and dark trousers.

Witnesses should call Northamptonshire Police on 08453 700700.