Police are appealing for information after a series of scams in Swinton and Winton by bogus builders whp persuade the owners of property to handing over cash for work they say needs doing.
The first incident occurred between 7am on Monday 15 August 2016 and 2pm on Tuesday 16 August 2016, when a man went to a property on Clarendon Road, Swinton, claiming to work for a company called Manchester Roofing.
He convinced the occupier, a man in his 70’s, to get two lots of work done that was not needed and not completed and cost the victim £10,000.
The second incident happened between 12.30pm and 1.30pm on Tuesday 16 August 2016 when two men went to a property on Leconfield Road, Winton, and told the victims, who are in their 70’s, that they have a loose roof tile.
One of the men asked the victim if he could check the loft and began ripping the felt lining for the roof. The victim asked him to stop but the man carried on tearing the lining.
When he went downstairs, the second man had torn around 50 tiles off the roof and damaged the wooden roof struts then told the occupier it would cost £14,000 to repair.
The victim refused and the men left after causing £6,000 of damage to the property.
These two incidents are believed to be linked to a distraction burglary in Bury on Tuesday 16 August 2016 when a couple in their eighties were targeted.
At about 2.30pm two men knocked on the door of a house on Manchester Old Road and told them there was ivy in the gutter that needed cleaning.
He let the two men into the house and one of them distracted him and his wife, while the other searched the living room.
The offenders stole a significant amount of cash, before fleeing in a small white van in the direction of Olivant Street.
The first man is described as white, in his 50s, about 6ft tall, fat and spoke with an Irish accent.
The second man is described as white, with a thin face.
Sergeant Craig Roberts of GMP’s Salford borough said: “This is quite frankly a disgusting series of scams where these two men have targeted people they considered vulnerable.
“The victims of these incidents have been left significantly out of pocket and some are facing repair bills in the thousands as a result.
“I would not only like to ask anybody with information about these men to come forward but I would also urge people to remain vigilant and alert if they or anybody they know is approached by people in similar circumstances.”
