Police are appealing for witnesses following a bogus workmen incident in Gorebridge.
Sometime in February, a man attended an address on Barleyknowe Road offering to carry out roof repairs.
The victim, a woman in her eighties, went into her home to retrieve cash and the man entered behind her.
He took a two-figure sum of money from her and left, and didn’t return to carry out the repairs.
The suspect is described as 5ft 8inches tall and in his early 50s. He was tanned, clean-shaven, with an athletic build and spoke with an Edinburgh accent. He was possibly wearing jeans, and travelling in a white van.
The incident was reported to officers on Sunday.
Detective Sergeant Gavin Morrison of Dalkeith CID said: “We’d urge anyone who may have been a victim of this type of crime to contact us, or a trusted neighbour or relative, as soon as possible.
“It is never the victim’s fault. Perpetrators of doorstep crime are very manipulative and will use all possible means to convince the homeowner that they’re legitimate in order to get money.
“Be wary of anyone attending your property offering to carry out work, and always ask for identification from callers you don’t know and are not expecting.
“If you are unsure, or are made to feel uncomfortable or intimidated then call someone you know or police. We’d rather than attend a false alarm that have someone fall victim to doorstep crime.”
Anyone with information about this incident, or who recognises the description of the suspect, is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
