Police warning after Wirral pensioner's home is burgled (From Wirral Globe)

Police warning after Wirral pensioner's home is burgled

3:41pm Monday 25th June 2012 in News By Craig Manning

POLICE are warning the public to be vigilant when answering the door to strangers after a man posing as a detective burgled the home of a Wirral pensioner.

The man pretended he was a plain clothes CID officer when he rang the intercom of the woman's flat in Seymour Street, Tranmere, on Saturday morning.

After she buzzed him in he appeared at her front door and tricked his way inside before ordering her to sit down and demanding that she hand over her money.

The victim gave him a small amount of money from her purse and a slightly larger quantity of cash from a birthday card before carrying out a brief search of the flat and leaving.

The woman was not physically harmed by the man but has been left upset and shaken by her twenty minute ordeal.

Detectives are now hunting the burglar and also urging residents to be vigilant when answering the door to strangers, no matter who they say they are.

Detective Inspector Mark Tivendame from Birkenhead CID, said: "This was an awful thing to happen to this lady and it is incredibly callous and devious to pretend to be a police officer to gain an persons trust then steal from them.

"I would urge everyone to be extra vigilant whenever someone they don't know calls at their door.

"Geniuine callers, whether they are from the emergency services or sales people, will always have identification and you should not be scared of offending someone by asking for their ID first.

"If you have any doubts whatsoever, do not open your door and instead ask them to wait outside while you call 101 to check that they are indeed from the emergency services."

The offender is described as white, aged in his mid 30's, of medium build, with short, dark hair and was wearing a black jacket and either jeans or tracksuit bottoms.

He made off on foot towards Old Chester Road, Birkenhead.

Anyone who saw a man matching that descriptionin the area at around 10.30am on Saturday morning is asked to call Wirral CID on 0151 777 2260 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.