More than £40,000 stolen from elderly victims across Nottinghamshire following a spate of distraction burglaries

A man, posed as a sales representative, went to the 90-year-old woman’s address in Sandringham Road, Retford, claiming to be measuring her garden for new fencing at around 4pm on August 12.

The woman went into the garden with the man and watched him measure the garden fence and leave.

Two hours later, the woman discovered that her bedrooms had been searched and a safe containing £30,000 cash had been stolen.

Earlier the same day, in Dorothy Avenue, Mansfield Woodhouse, three men knocked on the door of an elderly couple’s house claiming to be from a builders’ merchants and doing work on a neighbour’s garden.

Explaining that they needed to take measurements of a garden wall that was going to be knocked down, one of the three men asked the couple to help measure.

The two other men then invited themselves into the couple’s house.

At that point the house owner, who is in his 80s, asked the three men to ‘clear off’ and the three men left.

Following this, the house owner went to the builders’ merchants who confirmed the men did not work for them.

The moment a bungling burglar stares right into a CCTV camera

Detective Sergeant Mark Shaw, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “These men took advantage of vulnerable individuals and it has left several people out of pocket.

"At this stage we do believe the incidents to be linked.

“The men have used the same narrative at each incident, claiming to need to go into the garden and engaging their victim in conversation, leaving the house open to the other men to search.

“I am really keen to speak to anyone who may have seen three individuals in any of these areas this week.

“I would also like to urge residents to be mindful of unexpected callers. Ask for identification cards and call the company they claim to be from if you are unsure. Always make sure your back door is locked.

“Call a neighbour or friend if they try to pressure you or if you feel you are in danger, dial 999.”

Other incidents include a man in his 80s discovering that he had £10,000 in cash stolen at his house in Hallam Road, Boughton.

The elderly man said three men, posing as workmen, said they were doing some drainage work in his garden on August 10 at around 2pm,

While one man accompanied the house owner into the garden, the two others entered the property where the man’s elderly wife was sleeping and took the money.

Two hours after that in Retford a woman in her 80s had jewellery and around £350 taken from her house after three men in a white van said they needed to dig up her drive in West Furlong.

Another incident on August 13, in Wolsey Road, Newark, saw a man in his 80s discovering a man, described as a large white male, in his 50s, not much hair and wearing shorts, in his bedroom after letting another man in his garden.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101.