Police blitz rogue workmen and fraudsters
7:46pm Wednesday 21st May 2008
Travelling con-artists and distraction burglars were the target of a massive operation across Sussex today.
Scores of police and Trading Standards officers stopped trucks and vans to try to catch rogue traders while others toured neighbourhoods giving advice to householders.
Every police division in the county carried out spot-checks on groups such as tarmac-layers, roofers and gardeners and people in unmarked traders' vans.
Detectives want to smash the organised groups running distraction burglaries and cons against lone elderly pensioners.
In the latest spate of burglaries five Sussex towns were targeted on Saturday afternoon by people claiming to be either working or helping to deal with a water leak.
The addresses and details of victims are believed to be shared between criminal groups, meaning vulnerable elderly people can end up with repeated cold-calls.
In the last year there have been more than 200 reports of distraction burglaries across the county.