A new project is under way to help protect the elderly and vulnerable members of the community from distraction burglaries.

North Wales Police have recently encountered a number of distraction burglaries, where bogus workers pretend to be from the water board in order to access properties.

Once inside a second bogus worker will enter and search for valuables and cash.

To prevent further losses, PCSO Amanda Collins has produced a leaflet with advice on distraction burglaries which can be given to members of the community to raise awareness of these scams.

PCSO Collins said: “As a Police Community Support Officer one of my key roles is to keep communities safe, protecting the elderly and the vulnerable in particular. When a member of the community becomes a victim of crime, I will do anything I can to help and to prevent others becoming victims too. In this case, the victims are members of the community least likely to read crime prevention advice put on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter”.

Working in partnership with Rowlands and Well pharmacies, a copy of the leaflet will be included in every medication bag of anyone elderly or vulnerable to help to spread awareness, these will be available for both collected and delivered prescriptions.

PCSO Collins added: “The idea of asking pharmacies to assist came to me whilst on foot patrol one day. I was passing a pharmacy when I saw an elderly lady leaving with her medication.

"Joint partnership working, in this case with local pharmacies, will hopefully prevent others falling victim to this particularly nasty crime”.

The leaflets give advice to those who are worried about distraction burglaries such as using a door chain when answering the door, asking workers their reason for visiting and seeing their ID and ringing the company they claim to be from.

The leaflets are currently being distributed in the Wrexham Rural area initially but there are plans to distribute them further once the project is better established.

If you know an elderly or vulnerable member of your community, please share this information with them to prevent further distraction burglaries taking place.