Carol singer distraction burglaries – Stratford/Warwick

Police have issued a warning after two reports of people posing as carol singers stealing items from homes in Stratford and Warwick.

At around 4.20pm on Thursday (19 December), a woman and two children entered a property on Crane Close, Stratford, while carrying a red money tin. The resident’s airpods and charger were stolen. Incident 163 of 20 December 2024.

At around 6pm on Friday (20 December), a woman with two children knocked on a door at St Michaels Road, Warwick. The children asked for food and the resident invited them in while she got snacks. When the group left, the victim noticed a quantity of cash had been stolen from her purse.  Incident 309 of 20 December.

The suspect is described as a woman with a mixed ethnic background, around 5ft 2in, with two girls believed to be around 8-10 years old.

Investigating officer, Det Sgt Thomas Quinlan, said: ”Distraction burglars often target elderly or vulnerable people, tricking their way into homes. Unfortunately even at Christmas time, it appears these individuals are preying on the goodwill of residents. Nobody should become a victim of crime in their own home - our advice is to say no to cold-callers and to report any suspicious activity immediately.”

If anyone witnessed or has doorbell footage of the above offences, please report on warwickshire.police.uk/report or call 101. If a crime is in progress call 999.

For further advice on preventing burglary, please visit Keep burglars out of your property | Warwickshire Police. Please also share this with friends and family.