POLICE today issued e-fit images of doorstep conmen who have been preying on pensioners in the Felixstowe area.The resort has been targeted on several occasions this year by men who trick their way into an elderly person's home – pretending to be doing emergency repairs – and keep them occupied while an accomplice raids the house.

By Richard Cornwell

POLICE today issued e-fit images of doorstep conmen who have been preying on pensioners in the Felixstowe area.

The resort has been targeted on several occasions this year by men who trick their way into an elderly person's home - pretending to be doing emergency repairs - and keep them occupied while an accomplice raids the house.

Elderly people have lost hundreds of pounds in the incidents and detectives are hoping that the e-fit likenesses will jog someone's memory who may have seen the men acting suspiciously or even had them call at their property.

The computer-generated images relate to four incidents in Felixstowe and the Trimleys in the past few weeks and investigations are ongoing.

The incidents were:

n A man claiming to be a council worker called at the home of an 86 year old woman in Tomline Road on January 20 at 11.20am.

He said he had to make emergency water repairs and was allowed in. When he left a large sum of cash was found to have been stolen.

He is described as white with a pale complexion, about 20 years old, 5ft 7in tall, of slim build, with short dark ruffled hair, wearing a blue coat or overall.

n On January 27 a man called at the home of a 75-year-old woman in Grange Road and asked her if the electrician had called yet.

He claimed he was doing a survey of properties in the area and asked her to pass a message to the electrician and left. Ten minutes later another man arrived, claiming to be the electrician. He purported to do several checks before leaving.

The next day the woman realised her pension money was gone.

The men are described as white, about 5ft 10in tall, of well-built or sturdy build, and aged in their late 40s to mid 50s.

The first man had a decent head of grey-coloured hair in an old-fashioned style and was wearing a tie, jacket and trousers. The second also had grey hair, wore similar clothes and carried a hand-held gadget - the e-fit is of him.

n At 1.15pm on February 24 a man claiming to be from the water board gained entry to a house in Margaret Street and while he chatted to the 86-year-old woman who lived there, two others got in through the unlocked front door and started to search the property. They fled when the woman spotted them.

The first man was white, aged 25 to 28, 5ft 3in or so tall, with a young looking face, short smart light brown collar-length hair, wearing a light blue pullover, dark coloured trousers and possibly a jacket. He had a slight Irish accent.

One of the others was about the same age, but slightly taller, with short dark hair and wearing dark clothing.

The third was white, about 35, 5ft 8in tall, with short dark scruffy hair and also wearing dark clothing.

n Between midday and 2pm on February 24, a man gained entry to the home of an 83 year old in Trimley High Road. Luckily, she had a visitor and when the man noticed he hurriedly made his excuses and left.

He was white, aged 20 to 25, 5ft 8in tall, of medium build, with short dark brown hair. His accent was not local. He was wearing a cream coloured jumper and light coloured trousers.

Anyone with information about any of these incidents or recognises the suspects is asked to contact Felixstowe police on 01473 613500.