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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Stephen Topping

Police release CCTV image of man they want to speak to in connection with burglaries in which blind and bedbound people were targeted

Officers have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Tameside in which a blind person and a bedbound person were targeted.

Vulnerable Denton residents were told their roofs would be fixed before they had cash taken from their homes, cops say.

Greater Manchester Police says that on each occasion, elderly and vulnerable people were targeted, with one victim being bedbound and another blind.

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Police were called at around 12.35pm on Wednesday (November 24) to reports of a distraction burglary on Windermere Avenue.

Following initial enquiries, officers discovered that around three men had shouted to the bedbound victim from outside, to say that they were carrying out roofing work and needed the entry code to the property.

After being given the code, the group is believed to have entered and searched the address, before stealing a large amount of cash and jewellery from the victim, and then leaving.

The next day (November 25), police were called at 1.30pm to a similar incident on Kynder Street.

GMP says that the same group of men knocked on the door and entered a property while telling the victim, who is blind, that they were due to carry out roofing work.

The group told the victim that she owed them money, despite no building work taking place.

While the victim found money to pay the men, they are believed to have distracted her elderly mother - who has dementia - and stolen a number of items while taking the cash with them.

Police are continuing their investigation and no arrests have been made.

PC Rick Beswick, of Tameside's serious acquisitive crime team, said: "Thankfully there were no injuries. However, the victims - who are vulnerable and unable to defend themselves - have all been left incredibly shaken by these awful and disturbing incidents.

"We are now keen to speak to the man captured in this CCTV image. If you know this man or have some information, please get in touch with police.

"If you were in the area at the time, I also encourage you to please check dash-cam, CCTV or doorbell footage and get in touch with us as soon as you can if you have some information.

"We'll also have police patrols in the area for reassurance, so please do not hesitate to speak to our officers if you have any concerns or questions."

Anyone with information should contact Tameside's serious acquisitive crime team on 0161 856 9338 or report the incident online at www.gmp.police.uk quoting log 1249 of November 24, 2021.

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