Corby man, 72, conned out of £800 by rogue traders

The offender approached the victim in Romney Road, Corby, sometime between 1pm and 2pm on Tuesday (October 16) and offered to clean the guttering, replace parts of it and replace some broken slates.

He quoted £800 for the job and claimed to be working at a property nearby.

After taking cash in hand and agreeing to return the next day, he failed to return.

The offender is described as a white man in his late 50s with an Irish accent.

He had a heavy build and was around 6ft with short grey hair.

He wore workman boots/clothes.

A second offender who was present is described as a white male, late teens with a slim build.

He wore a black sweatshirt.

They were in a white van which had a trailer on the back of it and was parked on Constable Road, Corby.

Anyone with information can contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Following the incident, police are reminding people of the following crime prevention advice:

- Display a sticker, near your door, discouraging cold callers (available from Police or Trading Standards)

- If you answer your door to any unexpected visitors put the chain on

- If someone tells you that you need work done, thank them for the information and close the door

- Contact the Police or get a friend to do this on your behalf

- Contact a ‘trusted trader’ for evaluation as to whether work is actually needed and if so get three quotes before choosing a person to do the work