Bogus Caller Warning In Kidderminster

Police are warning Wyre Forest residents to be on their guard after a male claiming to be from BT (British Telecom) called at a woman's house in Kidderminster earlier this week.

The male knocked at the door of the house in Whittal Drive West shortly after 8pm on Wednesday 3 March saying he was there to check the BT line. When the woman said she was not with BT and refused to open the door, he ran off. Further checks revealed there was no one from the company due to be in the area that evening.

The male is described as having short black curly hair and wearing a dark blue shirt under a coat or jacket with a chain or ID badge around his neck.

PC Hannah Wilson from Kidderminster police said: "We want to make other residents aware that this has happened and to encourage them to be extra vigilant themselves. We would also urge anyone with older friends, family members or neighbours to highlight this issue to them and to remind them not to open the door to any callers they are not expecting."

West Mercia Police have only today (Friday 5 March) given their support to a new distraction burglary campaign , as part of the national initiative Operation Liberal. The key message of the campaign is ‘Not sure? Don't open the door!' reminding people to double check the identity of any caller at their door and to think twice about who they invite in. It also highlights the most common ways that burglars try to trick their way into people's homes, often targeting the elderly or more vulnerable members of the community.

PC Wilson added: "Thankfully crimes of this nature are not common in the Wyre Forest area and while we do not want to alarm anyone, we feel people can be better protected by being alert."

Police are encouraging anyone seeing any suspicious ‘cold calling' activity or unusual behaviour in their neighbourhood to report it, and say they will do their very best to respond.

Anyone with information relating to this incident can call Kidderminster police on 0300 333 3000 (quoting incident no 648-S-030310) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Issued:  Friday 5 March 2010