POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man stole £600 and a watch from two 95-year-olds.

The distraction burglary involving a bogus council official took place on Saturday at around 2.30pm

The elderly couple had returned home to Hanover Street from their shopping trip when a man attended their address and pretended to be a council employee.

He said he was calling due to claimed issues with their property.

The man is described as white around five foot eight inches with short dark hair and was wearing a high-vis jacket and bottoms.

After around 20-30 minutes, the offender left the address and headed away in an unknown direction.

A short time later inside the house, the elderly victims discovered that £600 had been taken from their upstairs bedroom and a sentimental gold Omega watch with a broken strap.

PC Devin Owens, said: “As you’ll see from the brief circumstances this is a despicable act on two 95-year-old victims in their own home.

“I am appealing for any information that may lead to identifying the person or persons involved.

“In this current climate this is the last thing our victims need and they have been left visibly shaken by this ordeal.

“They have been subjected to the worse kind of invasion in their own home by two blatant despicable thieves.

“I believe the offender has been working with an accomplice in this instance and while one distracts the victims another is able to commit the act.”

If you have any information, contact the OIC PC 15542 Owens quoting log 1480 23/5/2020 or email

15542@gmp.police.uk.