Cruel thief poses as cleaner to steal Preston pensioner’s Christmas presents

The man, aged in his 90s, was cruelly deceived by a woman posing as a cleaner who entered his home in Lutwidge Avenue, Deepdale on Thursday afternoon (December 22).

After spending some time upstairs, where she pretended to clean his bathroom, she then sneaked out of the house with two large bags filled with Christmas presents he had bought for his family.

Detectives described the distraction burglary as a “shocking and despicable crime” and said they are determined to bring the thief to justice.

A police spokesman said: “We are appealing for witnesses and doorbell footage after a distraction burglary in Preston in which Christmas presents were stolen from an elderly man.

“It happened on Lutwidge Avenue yesterday (Thursday, December 22).

"An unknown female, claiming to have been sent by the victim’s cleaning company, has entered the home saying she was there to clean his bathroom.

“After spending some time upstairs, the victim, who is in his 90s, has gone up to find that she has left the house and two large bags of Christmas presents have been taken.”

Chief Inspector Chris Abbott, from Preston Police, added: “This is a shocking and despicable crime committed against a vulnerable member of our community which happened in his own home, a place where he should feel safe.

“This morning, I have visited the victim and seen the impact that this crime has had on him and his family.

“Everyone should feel safe in their own home, and I want to reassure the public that we will do everything we can to find the offender and bring them to justice.

“Distraction burglars often prey upon our most vulnerable residents. Our advice is not to allow anyone without valid identification access to your home and report any suspicious activity to police immediately.”

If you have any information, you can call 101, quoting the number 0893 of December 22. If you have been the victim of crime, you can call 101 or report it online here.