| Burglaries in Silchester |
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| Written by Barbara Payne | |
| Thursday, 29 November 2007 | |
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Burglaries in Silchester Police News Item – 27 November 2007 Witnesses sought to distraction burglaries in Silchester After about 20 minutes, the man said everything appeared to be in order and left. The couple then discovered around £450 cash and a gold Rotary watch had been stolen. Following police enquiries into the incident, it was found that the next door neighbours had also been burgled. A Webley air pistol, £55 cash and a country and western CD had been stolen while the occupants were out. The man police want to speak to is described as: • White • Around 5ft 4ins • Aged around 19 to 20 • Slim build • Dark, collar length hair • Clean shaven • Wearing navy blue overalls or boiler suit • Spoke with an accent Officers are also releasing an e-fit of a man who approached the occupants of the second burglary as they were about to go out for the day to say he had seen some youths attempting to break into their garage. PC Will Butcher, of the Priority Crime Unit, said: “This despicable crime is becoming more frequent across the country, whereby criminals are deliberately targeting elderly and vulnerable members of our community. “These incidents can have a huge effect on the victims and leave them feeling extremely distressed, scared and embarrassed. “I would like to speak to anyone with any information about who was responsible for these burglaries, and in particular, the man who approached the occupants to alert them to some youths breaking into their garage. “This man asked the home owners where they lived so he could alert them should he see the youths again. It may be this man has an innocent explanation and I would urge him to contact police.” Officers are offering the following Safer Homes advice to avoid becoming a victim of this sort of crime: Burglars can fool you into thinking they are genuine callers. Don't be the one who invites them in. If in doubt, keep them out! • Stop – are you expecting anyone to call on you? Do you know the person at the door? Don’t be misled by what appear to be genuine reasons for calling on you. • Check – A genuine caller will carry identification and will be happy to wait outside while you check it. Remember to source your own number for the company they are claiming to be from; don’t accept a number from the caller. • Chain – fit a door chain or spy hole so that you can speak to callers or check who they are without opening the door fully. Anyone with any information should contact PC Butcher at Basingstoke police station on 0845 045 45 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 30 November 2007 ) |