Thieves use guinea pig to con their way into houses

12:47pm Thursday 27th September 2007

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THIEVES have used a non-existent guinea pig to cheat their way into elderly people's homes in Waltham Forest.

Seven residents were targeted in three hours last week, while scores of residents from all over the borough have had jewellery, handbags and hundreds of pounds of cash stolen over the past two weeks.

According to Det Insp Brian McCluskey of Leyton police, the burglars operate a highly sophisticated information about where elderly people live or those who have valuable property.

They use excuses from checking the water meter to searching for a lost guinea pig, on about five occasions, to get into people's homes - a crime known as distraction burglary.

He said: "This is very very unusual number of crimes. People are marked out for being elderly or having valuable property. The thieves look for grab rails and net curtains.They are despicable."

The burglars have been operating across the borough, with reports of thefts coming from Leyton, Leytonstone, Wood Street in Walthamstow and Chingford, as well as in neighbouring boroughs.

One 86-year-old victim, of Sinnet Road, Walthamstow, had a handbag containing £24 in cash stolen after she opened the door to two men who said they had lost their guinea pig and believed it could be in her back garden.

They pretended to search her kitchen before taking the bag.

A gold, diamond and sapphire ring, a watch and brooch were stolen from Drayton Road, Leytonstone, £190 was taken from Cooks Close, Leytonstone, and a handbag containing £36 was stolen from Worcester Road, Walthamstow, between Tuesday and Thursday, September 18 to 20.

DI McCluskey said that his team had obtained extra funding and resources to launch a search. He reminds residents to be cautious about opening the door to people they don't know.

Descriptions of the conmen are sketch, but have been described as white men, with one aged in his early to mid 20s.

If you can help identify the thieves or have any information, call 020 8345 2465.