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Disabled lady, 94, victim of incident

From the Cotswold Journal, first published Thursday 17th Jul 2008.

POLICE have arrested a man following an attempted distraction burglary at the Mickleton home of a severely disabled 94-year-old woman.

A man called at the front door of the woman's Broadway Road house between 2.40pm and 3.15pm last Thursday.

When she opened the door, he claimed his father knew her.

He was then joined on the front doorstep by a second man and both entered the hallway.

The woman, whose name has been withheld by Gloucestershire Constabulary, told them to leave but they only exited when she warned them she had telephoned the police.

They got into a grey vehicle, believed to be a Rover 600, which reversed up the house's driveway before being driven off. The first offender was white, of Eastern European appearance, aged between 30 and 40 years, six feet tall, stocky, round faced and had short, dark, brown hair.

The other was white, gaunt, aged between 30 and 40 years, six feet tall, of medium build and had grey, cropped hair.

West Midlands Constabulary arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the incident and released him on police bail to appear at Cirencester Police Station on Friday, August 22, pending further inquiries.

Police withheld the name of the man, who has not been charged.

Acting Police Sergeant Tim Griffiths, of the North Cotswolds, said: "This appears to be an appalling attempt to rob the home of an extremely vulnerable victim who has been left severely shaken by the incident. We urge anyone with information to come forward."

Police advise householders to look through a window or peep-hole to see anyone who knocks on their door, refrain from opening their door if they do not know or trust the caller or if the visitor has not made an appointment and tell the caller to leave and return at an agreed time when they can have someone with them.

Householders should check the caller's credentials by contacting the organisation they claim to represent through looking up its telephone number, rather than using one on any card they present.

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