Police are appealing for the public’s help as they investigate the theft of a safe from a home in Whitburn.
The incident is believed to have taken place around 1.30pm on Monday, June 10, in the Glencoe area.
A man claiming to be from Scottish Water attended an address and told the resident, a man in his seventies, that he was there to sample the water.
While this man was allegedly testing the water, it’s suspected that another person entered the property and stole a safe from a room upstairs.
The safe was found to be missing on Thursday, June 13, and the incident was reported to police.
The safe contained documents and jewellery worth at least £7000 including a silver diamond ring, a gold bangle with diamonds and a watch.
The man who attended the address is described as white, five feet 10 tall, of slim build with a gaunt appearance, in his late twenties to early thirties with short dark hair, facial hair and a Scottish accent.
He was wearing a dark-coloured fleece and dark trousers.
Detective Constable Marc Lunn of Livingston CID said: “Our enquiries have established that Scottish Water were not conducting tests in the area that day and we believe that the missing safe is linked to this incident.
“Anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in the area on the afternoon of 10th June, those who may recognise the man’s description or who know the whereabouts of the jewellery are urged to contact us.”
A Scottish Water spokeswoman said: “We’re committed to helping reduce doorstep crime carried out by bogus callers. We’re doing all we can to minimise the risk of anyone impersonating a Scottish Water employee or someone carrying out work on our behalf.
“Anyone working for Scottish Water, or on our behalf, will always have a photo ID card. If we knock on your door, check the photo ID and follow our 3 Cs rule: Card, Check, Call.
“Ask callers to pass their ID card or letter through your letterbox so you can check their identity. Check the ID and see if it matches the person and that the card looks genuine and has not been tampered with.
“If you have any doubts call our customer helpline on 0800 0778778 before you open the door. We can confirm if the caller is genuine. Our staff will always be happy to wait while you confirm their identity.”
Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 3289 of 13th June, or report this anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
