ELDERLY people are being urged by police to be vigilant after two distraction burglaries took place in Wyre Forest.

Officers at West Mercia Police believe the incidents in Cookley and Franche, Kidderminster, yesterday were linked to similar offences in Shrewsbury and Telford earlier on the same day.

Burglars struck Kimberlee Avenue, Cookley, at about 5.30pm when a man kept a woman in her 80s talking in the kitchen, while annother searched a bedroom. It is not known whether anything was stolen.

Then, between 6.15pm and 6.30pm, in Chestnut Grove, Franche, three men told a woman in her 90s they needed to check her water supply and asked her to unlock the back door. She saw one coming down the stairs and challenged them. They left stealing between £80 and £100.

Police are looking for three men in connection with the incidents as well as ones which took place between 1.15pm and 1.45pm in Shrewsbury and at about 3pm in Telford.

The men were all white and aged 30 to 35. One was 5ft 8ins to 5ft 9ins in height, of slim build, with short brown hair and wearing a grey peaked cap, grey tracksuit and blue jeans.

Another was 5ft 10ins tall, of chubby build, with very short crew-cut brown hair and wearing a blue tracksuit top and blue tracksuit bottoms with dark coloured gloves.

A third offender was 5ft 6ins to 5ft 7ins tall, of skinny build and wearing a grey hooded top.

Supt Kevin Purcell, of West Mercia Police, said: “Distraction burglaries are a particularly heartless crime, given the victims are usually elderly and vulnerable.

“Although on this occasion they were only successful in stealing money from one of the homes they targeted, victims are often very distressed by these incidents and may lose their trust and independence as a result.”

He added: “It seems clear the offenders are using the road network to travel across a wide area. We are liaising with neighbouring forces, sharing information and intelligence, and our patrols are patrolling main routes throughout West Mercia.”

Anyone with information should call 101 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.