Distraction Burglary in Newton Regis

Inc 108 of 10/6/23

At around 5pm on 9/6/23 a male entered the garden of a property in Newton Regis and spoke to the occupier, stating that he was from a building site in the village.  After the male had left it was found that a number of items were missing.

Distraction burglaries have also recently been reported in Hurley (Inc 374 of 7/6/23) and Hampton Magna (Inc 201 of 7/6/23).

Warwickshire Police are investigating them fully and are appealing that if you saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area at the time or noticed any vehicles that may have seemed out of place to come forward.

They also stated “We would like to take this opportunity to remind our communities of our advice around people calling at your door.  There may be some individuals seeking to trick their way into your home and although their stories can be very convincing, they are often not genuine.

“Genuine callers will usually have an appointment and anyone who is cold calling should be asked for identification. If you are in any doubt, do not let them in and either call the company they are claiming to be from to confirm their identity, or if it is an emergency, dial 999.

“Finally, we would encourage you to share our advice below particularly with any elderly and vulnerable individuals you may know so they can be aware of this type of incident and remain vigilant to these types of opportunists.”

Further tips and advice

• check to see who is at the door by using a door viewer, or looking through a front window
• put the chain on before you open the door as this is a barrier against unwanted callers
• when an unexpected caller claims they work for a utility company, they must be able to quote your password and unique customer number and produce an identity card
• if someone claims to be from the police, they should carry an ID card with their photograph on – check this carefully and keep the chain on. This also applies to genuine tradespeople.
• if you’re unsure about the caller’s identity, telephone the company the caller claims to represent, but don’t rely on them giving you the number as it may be false – genuine callers won’t mind waiting
• if you’re still unsure, ask the caller to come back later so that you can arrange for a friend or relative to be present
• if you feel uncomfortable or are concerned with the person’s presence, call 101 or 999 if a crime is in action

You can also find more information and guidance at www.warwickshire.police.uk and on the attached advice sheet:

Distraction Burglary Advice Not Sure Don’t Open the Door

Anyone with information about any of the incidents above is asked to contact the force quoting incident number stated.