POLICE are appealing for information after an elderly woman was the victim of a distraction burglary in her home in Kidderminster.

On Friday, November 10, a woman in her 80s answered the door to a unknown man requesting to check the plumbing of her property, in the Chestnut Grove area.

While she was with him in the kitchen, it is believed that a second man entered the property - before completing a search of home and it is reported that a large black safe containing a large sum of money, an envelope of money and three rings had been stolen.

One of the men is described as being between 20 to 30 years of age, around 5ft8ins in height, with short black hair and a moustache.

The second man is described as being slightly bigger than the first.

There is no description of what clothing the two men were wearing at the time of the incident.

Detective Sergeant Ed Slough, of Kidderminster CID, said: "I would like to hear from anyone who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area at the time of the incident.

"I would also urge local residents to be vigilant and should someone call at your address claiming to be a tradesman, don't let them in, and check for identification.

"A genuine tradesman would never just turn up at your door requesting work, contact their employer and ask why they have attended your address."

Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious within the area or those matching the descriptions, then call West Mercia Police on 101, quoting incident 541S of November 10.

Alternatively, information can be passed on anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or by visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

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West Mercia Police has issued the following steps residents can take to protect yourself from a distraction burglary:

- Check to see who is at the door by using your door viewer, or looking through a front window,

- Always put the chain on before you open the door as this is a barrier against unwanted callers,

- When an unexpected caller claims they work for one of the utility companies, they must be able to quote your password and unique customer number and produce an identity card: all of the utility companies operate password schemes - contact the customer services department and set up a password with them,

- Make a note of your customer number, which can be found at the top of the utility bill and keep it handy - this number is unique to your household,

- As added proof of identity, genuine trades people should carry an identification card with their photograph on -check this carefully and keep the chain on,

-  If you're unsure about the caller's identity telephone the company the caller claims to represent, but don't rely on them giving you the number as it may be false - genuine callers won't mind waiting,

- If you're still unsure, ask the caller to come back later so that you can arrange for a friend or relative to be present.