THREE vulnerable victims were targeted during distraction burglaries and attempted distraction burglaries carried out on the same day.
A 68-year-old man from The Mall, Kenton, was pushed over and robbed of his wallet and mobile phone after he opened the door to a man claiming to be from Neighbourhood Watch.
The suspect is described as a white man about 40 years old with blonde hair. He was wearing a grey suit, blue shirt and black shoes, and the incident is one of three the Metropolitan Police say took place on Saturday.
Detective Constable Ketan Gami, from Brent CID, said: “This has been a frightening ordeal for the victims and I would like to hear from anyone that may have information or saw these suspects in the area.
“These people often target the most vulnerable in our community and we need to send out the message that if people are not sure, do not let them in.”
A few hours before The Mall burglary an elderly couple in The Circle, Neasden, were at home when there was a knock on the door.
The suspect said that he was from Neighbourhood Watch and there had been a robbery at a house nearby and the victim’s house had also been robbed.
The suspect walked into the property and the victim said he wanted to see some identification and that no property had been taken. The suspect then quickly walked past the victim and left the venue.
The suspect is described as a white male about 40 to 45 years old with light brown hair with a light grey suit, light blue shirt, black shoes and a tie.
Police say the first distraction burglary occurred in John Barker Court in Brondesbury Park Road at 2.15pm.
The victim was an 80-year-old woman who returned home from shopping and noticed someone was standing behind her. He claimed he was a warden and that someone had broken into her flat.
The victim continued to put her things away and when she turned back she noticed her handbag was on the floor with the contents spilled. The suspect was standing over her bag and she saw a second suspect run out of the flat.
The first suspect was a white man with blond hair, aged 40 to 45, wearing a grey suit, white shirt and black shoes, and the second suspect was described as a white man aged 25 to 35 in blue and white vertical striped shirt and blue jeans.
If you have any information on the incidents, please contact Brent Police 020 8733 3250, or alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
