RUBERY residents are being warned to be on their guard after three distraction burglaries in the village in the space of a week.
The first happened between 6pm and 6.30pm on August 23 when an unknown man knocked on the door of a property on Nwe Inns Lane.
The woman, in her 80s, answered and the man asked if he could use a piece of paper and a pen to leave a note for a family member who was moving in next door. She let him in and, while she went into another room to get the paper, he stole her purse from her handbag which contained her bank card and money.
The man was white, around 5ft 7ins tall, of slim build and had short dark hair.
He was wearing dark clothing and came across as being ‘timid and nervous’.
In the second incident between 6pm and 7.30pm on August 28, a man and a woman knocked on the door of a property in Rednal Hill Lane, saying theu were visiting a neighbour. They asked the man, who was in his 80s, if they could have some paper to write a note for his neighbour. Once inside, the man went upstairs and then came back down. The victim threatened to call the police and the woman started crying, begging him not to. The pair then left the property. It is unclear if anything was taken on that occasion.
The woman was white, in her 40s, with fair wavy hair and a round face. The man was around 5ft 8ins, in his 40s, and had short hair and ‘damaged skin’ on his right arm.
The third incident occurred at around 6pm on August 31 when a man and a young girl called at a house in Callowbrook Lane.
The man told the resident, a woman in her 80s, he needed to leave a note for the next door neighbour and asked for some paper. He wrote that on the doorstep and then asked for a glass of water for the young girl. When the victim went inside, the man entered the property with the girl – without the victim’s permission and took her leather purse. The victim, when she realised he was in the house asked him to leave.
It’s believed a woman was waiting behind a hedge outside of the property with a pram, and the pair then left with the child towards Deelands Road.
The man was white, around 23 or 24 years of age. 5ft 8ins tall and of an average build. He had brown curly hair and stubble on his face and was wearing dark trousers and a dark jacket with writing on the back.
The woman was white, in her early 20s, with dark shoulder-length hair. She was wearing dark trousers and a dark short-sleeved top. The child was white and aged around two or three. She was wearing a light or pink top.
PCSO Chelsea Lloyd from Hagley and Rubery Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “These are three concerning incidents which we believe may be linked.
“We will be conducting additional patrols in the area, and we would urge residents to be wary of cold callers at the door and to not let them into the house, no matter how good their intentions may seem.”
She urged residents to look out for elderly family members and neighbours in a bid to protect them from this kind of crime and said anyone who was suspicious of a cold-caller should call police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Witnesses or anyone else with any information should also call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
