Witchford man robbed after letting man into house to fetch a glass of water

A man in his 80s was robbed by a conman who stole cash after he’d let him into his home and went to fetch him a glass of water.

The man turned up on the victim’s doorstep on Saturday and said he was there to cut a hedge.

He paid the conman £20 before letting him into his home in Manor Court, Witchford.

The thief then put stage two of his plan into action, asking the victim for a glass of water.

Whilst the man went to fetch it, the visitor made off with a jar full of cash, estimated to be around £60.

Det Sgt Ashley Ryan, of Cambridgeshire police, said: “Distraction burglars use lies to gain access to homes, often pretending to be there to carry out work in order to gain the victim’s trust before stealing money or valuables.

Last month, £2,000 worth of cash and jewellery was stolen from a woman in her 60s after two men persuaded her to let them into her home in Cambridge to fix her water pipes.

DS Ryan, from Cambridgeshire police’s southern burglary team, said: “I’m urging the public to look out for family, friends or neighbours who could be considered vulnerable.

“In the meantime, we are working tirelessly to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”

For more burglary prevention advice, visit https://bit.ly/36lwYCE.