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E-Fit issued of young suspect, 10

Faye Adams
30/ 6/2005

POLICE are warning that distraction burglars - some as young as 10 - are using increasingly devious methods to steal from the vulnerable.

A number of incidents involving distraction burglary have taken place recently shows offenders are thinking up new ways to trick people into letting them into their homes.

Detectives have just released a photofit of a child they want to identify thought to have been involved in an incident on Hadfield Road, Hadfield.

The boy aged around nine or ten went to the address under the guise of collecting pictures of a local school for a project.

The 69-year-old woman at the address told him she didn't have any but agreed to get the boy and his friend a drink of water.

When she returned she found the boy in her lounge. However, after he was disturbed he left without taking anything.

The boy is described as white, 5ft and of thin build wearing a long sleeved blue and white checked shirt.

He was with another boy of similar size and age during the incident on 16 June.

An 88-year-old woman from Long Lane, Charlesworth had her purse stolen on Monday by a man posing as a gardener.

Described as being in his 30s, of large build and wearing a T-shirt with writing on the front, he had gone to the house at around 3.30pm.

The pensioner believed him to be a milkman and asked him to pass her her purse to pay him. He then told her he was the substitute for her regular gardener.

After he had left the woman found the purse was missing.

Inspector Tony Dales said: "This shows how crafty and devious people are becoming. They no longer say they're from the gas board, they are using a system of befriending people, asking them a few questions and before you know it they're in the house.

"We've got to give the message that it can be anybody and you have to be aware of this."

Anyone with information should contact DC Ansell on 0845 1233333 ext 713/2235.