POLICE have warned residents to be extra-vigilant after conmen preyed on the elderly in a string of distraction thefts in Crewe.

Descriptions have been issued of two men who conned their way into the house of an 84-year-old woman and stole a handbag and contents worth £110.

The theft, which took place in Elm Close at around 1.30pm on Saturday, was carried out by two smartly dressed white males, wearing white shirts and dark trousers and believed to be driving a Rover.

One was around 25-28 years of age, 5ft 8ins tall with short brown hair.

Posing as council officers, the offenders said they wanted to check the back garden and one stole the handbag while the other distracted the owner and her two friends, who were also over 80 years old.

The incident followed a similar theft in Frank Bott Avenue, where two males with strong accents gained entry to a house by saying they were from the water board and needed to check that a leak from next door hadn't come through to the bedroom upstairs.

Also cash and cash boxes worth a total of £170 were stolen from Williams' Cycles in Edleston Road on Friday while an accomplice distracted the owner.

Sergeant Martin Baker of Crewe CID was especially disgusted by the thefts from people's homes.

"Words can't describe the type of people that do this sort of thing and I have a terrible contempt for them," he said.

"It is unfortunate we need to reiterate it, but if you have any doubts at all about somebody then ask them for identification.

"If you are still unsure ring their place of work or the police because it's not worth risking and we would gladly respond.

"Anybody who's legitimate will have no problems at all and appreciate that it's necessary."

Sergeant Baker said he would also like to hear of failed con attempts.

"We would also ask that people ring us if they have had somebody they weren't sure about who disappeared after being asked for identification," he said.

"Then we can get a better pattern of what's going on and stand a better chance of putting these people behind bars."

Anyone with information can ring 01270 500222.

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