Bogus council official cons woman of cash and jewellery

A man pretending to be from Rochdale council conned a woman of cash and jewellery.

The 65-year-old woman was at her house on Miller Street in Heywood, when a man knocked on the door at about 5.45pm on Sunday (3 January), claiming he needed to check on her water supply.

He asked the victim to point out where the stop tap was. As she was doing this, the offender left and said he would be back in half an hour.

After he did not return, the woman checked her bedroom and saw that her handbag, containing cash and jewellery, had been stolen.

The offender is described as being a white man, in his late 20s or early 30s, about 5ft 4in tall, with a stocky build and a local accent.

It is believed that another man came into the house while the first offender was with the victim.

Detective Constable Janice Cruttwell said: "It is truly appalling that the victim was conned in this way.

"We are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the offence to tell us what they know.

"There is the chance that the offenders were in the area over the weekend and we would like to know if you saw anyone matching the description given.

"I would also like to remind residents that they should be cautious of unexpected visitors and ask them to show ID. If you are in any doubt, shut the door on them."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 856 8443 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.