Conman targets vulnerable man in Hartley Wintney (From This is Hampshire)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Conman targets vulnerable man in Hartley Wintney
5:20pm Monday 29th October 2012 in News By Chris Gregory
CCTV image of the man police want to speak to in connection with two suspicious incidents
A SUSPECTED trickster tried to persuade a vulnerable man in Hartley Wintney into paying for unnecessary building work.
The 47-year-old victim was approached by the man in One Stop, in High Street, at 4.30pm on Tuesday, October 16.
The man told him that work done on his gas supply that morning had been done by a trainee and needed to be redone, at a cost of £200 to £300. In fact, no work had been done at his house that day.
He then walked with the victim back to his house before telling him to go to a cash machine to get £200. He also asked for his home phone number.
But police said the victim called his father, who came to the house. He answered a call from the man, and asked about further details about his company, but the man hung up.
The suspicious incident followed a similar one in Fleet that took place at 3.30pm that day.
A man approached a 70-year-old man in Reading Road North and said work needed to be done on gas pipe works at his home.
The man asked for the victim’s phone number and said his office would call him in a few weeks to arrange an appointment.
Officers have released a CCTV picture of a man they would like to speak to in connection with both incidents.
He is described as aged in his 30s, of slim build and about 6ft 2ins tall. He wore a dark-coloured jumper and trousers and had short, black hair.
Anyone with information can contact PC Justin Mortimore at Aldershot police station on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
