Teenager burgling East Lancashire pensioners in bogus sponsor con (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Teenager burgling East Lancashire pensioners in bogus sponsor con
11:17am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in
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- By Tyrone Marshall » Reporter
A TEENAGER pretending to collect sponsorship money for charities has committed a spate of burglaries.
The criminal has been targeting elderly people in Burnley and Nelson, and talking his way into their homes before taking items including purses and handbags.
A number of burglaries have taken place during the past month, including four since March 7, in Queensgate in Nelson, and Casterton Avenue, Eastern Avenue and Rydal Street in Burnley.
The youngster, believed to be aged between 14 and 17 and riding a red BMX, tells elderly residents he is collecting sponsorship money for a forthcoming event, but once inside the property takes items when their back is turned.
Insp Karen Edwards said: “This is a despicable and cowardly crime.
"I would appeal for anyone with information to come for-ward so we can catch this person.
“We have a dedicated team set up working on these incidents and doing everything we can to catch the offender.”
Police are also asking elderly residents to be vigilant and take measures to protect themselves against this type of crime, as well as asking for neighbours to keep an eye out.
She said: “I would like to reassure people that crimes of this type are very rare.
“But residents should be vigil-ant and ask for ID for people call-ing at the door and make sure they are genuine.
“I would also ask neighbours to keep an eye on vulnerable people who could be targeted and if they see anyone matching this description to come forward.”
The incidents in Casterton Avenue, Eastern Avenue and Rydal Street happened on Sunday, March 7 between 8am and 11am.
The offender usually wears a light coloured hoodie and black tracksuit bottoms, and is of medium build and between 5ft 5ins and 5ft 8ins.
If you have any information call PC Haydn Sibley on 01282 472121.
Comments(3)
RAyzer
says...
6:31pm Tue 16 Mar 10
nt only
Burnleyite36
says...
5:35pm Wed 17 Mar 10
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Davidoff says...
11:49am Tue 16 Mar 10
Look at those three from Mill Hill - what a laugh when you hear the police saying 'ASBOS do work' ... soon as I saw them on Granada Reports, gurning at the cameras as they came out of court, sticking a finger up, I knew they'd be breaking it within hours. Guess what, they did. So they don't work. So let's stop all pretending that they are some cure all thing, that they don't work at all. They don't work because no one has respect for anything least of all themselves. Even wild animals have standards, these pieces of scum do not.
Lucky they aren't alive a few centuries ago, then. They'd probably have hung from the gallows for doing this! Or be thrown in a cell in some dark pit somewhere.