Police warn residents about bogus council callers

Bristol residents are being warned by the police to remain vigilant with doorstep callers as distraction burglars have been operating across the city.

The heartless offenders have been knocking on doors claiming to be from the council, targeting elderly residents.

In the past two weeks, more than £14,000 has been stolen from people in Bristol, Weston-Super-Mare and Bath.

PC Andrew Williams said: “These men have used various pretexts for gaining access to the homes of the victims. They have claimed that they have been sent to look at hedges and clear the garden, cut back trees and check the water in the property. In a number of cases the offender was wearing a suit and had a council style ID badge.”

Bristol City Council are asking all residents to be careful should someone visit their property.

Council workers will usually book visits in advance and will always be happy to provide photographic ID, letting the home owner confirm their visit over the telephone to the council whilst waiting outside.

Cabinet member for Environment and Community Safety, Cllr Gary Hopkins, said, “We are determined to crack down on this type of criminal, who usually targets the elderly and most vulnerable members of our community. Our Trading Standards officers have recently formed a joint Doorstep Crime Team in partnership with Avon and Somerset Police, which is dedicated to dealing with these sorts of crimes. By pooling our resources and working together, we are able to provide a quicker and more effective service that will hopefully see these criminals being put out of business.”