E-fit helps in search for burglars who target OAPs

CAN YOU identify these men? Police are trying to identify and find them so they can be questioned about two burglaries in East London.  The offences in question were distraction burglaries – targeted at elderly people.

The two burglaries took place on 22nd July.

The first one occurred after an 89 year old woman left the home she shares with her 90 year old husband in Gosset Street, E2, to go shopping. She left at around 12.30pm. A man then came up to her. He was wearing a blue lanyard.  He told her there had been an explosion and he had to go into all of the flats to check the water pipes. The woman agreed to take the man to her home, and as they went there they were joined by another man.

When they reached the woman’s home, one of the men began moving items from under the sink while the other men went into the living room. After the men had left, the woman realised they had taken her handbag, which had contained a large sum of money.

The second burglary occurred a couple of hours later at the home of an elderly couple near Mabley Green, Homerton. A man, 85, answered a knock at his door, where he found two men. They said they were from Thames Water and that there had been an explosion down the street so they needed to check the water. They asked him to go upstairs and turn the taps on. His 77 year old wife began looking out of the window to see what was going on.

The men left quite quickly. The couple went out shortly afterwards and became concerned when they saw nothing going on in the area that suggested a local explosion. They went home and realised that money and jewellery had been stolen.

Both couples contacted the police when they realised their losses, and the police were able to build up a picture of the two suspects.

Suspect 1 is described as a white male, around 40 years old; around 5ft 8ins tall and rather plump.  He had short dark hair and was clean shaven.  He was wearing a dark jumper and trousers and, when committing the crimes, he had a lanyard round his neck.

Suspect 2 is described as a white male, aged around 17-19, thin and clean shaven. He had short brown hair which was slicked back with gel. He was wearing a grey, thin, summer waterproof style jack, a cream T-shirt and blue jeans.

Detective Constable Tom May, Central East Command Unit CID, is investigating. He said, “Though both sets of victims were physically unharmed, they have been left distraught by the callous actions of two men who have preyed on vulnerable, elderly people. The incidents are made all the more disturbing by the fact that one of the victims was an elderly man who had recently suffered a stroke and was being cared for by his wife. I urge anyone who recognises the men in these E-FIT images – or anyone who has been approached in a similar fashion – to contact us immediately.”

●Anyone who has any information which may assist police is asked to contact police via 101 and quote reference CRIS 4618078/20 or 4219690/20. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111 and give information anonymously.

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