AN elderly Petersfield woman has been praised after she foiled a would-be distraction burglar. Police say the woman who was in her 80s refused to allow the man in to her Heath Road home after he asked to inspect her walls for damp. The incident took place at 9.40pm on Wednesday April 25 when a man, with a large round face, came to her door. He rang the doorbell three times and claimed that he had been working at a neighbour's house and said that he needed to check her walls. The pensioner refused to let him in and said she would check the wall herself in the morning. The man then walked away. After the incident she contacted her neighbours and discovered that nobody had had any work done. PC Duncan Gordon of Petersfield Police told The Herald: "I would like to give praise to this woman for refusing to the let the man in. "She did the right thing by refusing him entry and checking with her neighbours the following day. "Two of our PCSOs have made a visit to the address to congratulate her for her actions and presented her with a bunch of flowers. "In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight distraction burglaries are relatively rare. "However, these incidents can have a huge effect on the victims and can leave them feeling extremely distressed. "Your home is the environment in which you feel safest and burglars violate this. The impact on victims of these crimes cannot be understated. "A lot of victims of this sort of crime do not report the incidents to the police." PC Gordon appealed that if anyone had been a victim of distraction burglary, or knew a friend, relative or neighbour who had, he urged them to come forward with any details. He added: "Not only can we help investigate their crime, we can also offer them support. "There are simple steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of this sort of crime. "By taking this advice and reporting any suspicious people, we can work together to reduce this sort of crime in our communities." Officers are offering the following Safer Homes advice to avoid becoming a victim of this sort of crime: Burglars can fool you into thinking they are genuine callers. Don't be the one who invites them in. If in doubt, keep them out. PC Gordon urged Herald readers to follow this code: lStop – are you expecting anyone to call on you? Do you know the person at the door? Don't be misled by what appear to be genuine reasons for calling on you. lCheck – A genuine caller will carry identification and will be happy to wait outside while you check it. Remember to source your own number for the company they are claiming to be from, don't accept a number from the caller. lChain – fit a door chain or spy hole so that you can speak to callers or check who they are without opening the door fully. If you turn anyone away from your home because they could not provide you with a genuine reason for being there, or you are suspicious of callers in your area, contact the police. You can contact your local police station on 0845 045 45 45. In an emergency you should always dial 999. Anyone with any information regarding this incident should contact PC Duncan Gordon at Whitehill police station on 0845 045 45 45 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
