AN elderly couple in Bishops Castle were victims of a distraction burglary in which thousands of pounds was stolen.

Police are urging the community to be vigilant to callers at homes of vulnerable and elderly neighbours following the incident.

It happened at around 3.30pm on Thursday December 4, when three men called at the home of a couple in their eighties on Corporation Street.

They entered the home and it is believed that once inside they stole a vanity case containing more than £5,000 in cash.

The men were described as white. All three were wearing winter clothing and 'beanie hats', one with a distinctive stripy pattern. One of the men is believed to have been in his fifties, the other two in their twenties.

They were seen to get into a blue car before driving away.

“Our enquiries are on-going to identify the men involved and we’d like to encourage any Bishops Castle residents that may have seen men matching the descriptions in the area to contact us on 101,” said Detective Constable Greg Smith.

“These types of crimes are particularly despicable as they target the most vulnerable members of our community. We’d like to urge our communities to keep an eye out for individuals calling at the homes of elderly or vulnerable neighbours and encourage them not to open the door to unexpected callers.”

West Mercia Police is encouraging communities to help prevent and detect these crimes by looking out for vulnerable neighbours and taking the registration number of cars that are unusual to the area. Residents are encouraged to support anything suspicious by calling 101.

People are being advised to keep a chain on the door and not allow unexpected visitors in.

Anyone with any information about the crime in BishopsCastle is urged to contact West Mercia Police on 101 quoting incident number 440s of December 4.

You can give information, without giving your name, by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting its website www.crimestoppers-uk.org