A WARNING for the elderly in Wellington to be on their guard because of conmen operating in the area was given at the January meeting of Wellington Town Council when it was revealed that an 89-year-old woman had more than £5,000 stolen from her credit cards.

PC Mick Dunn told councillors that the offenders – believed to be of mixed race – had gained entry to her home after knocking on her door and falsely claiming she owed money for magazines she had received.

She let them have her credit cards after they said they would go to her nearby bank’s hole in the wall money machine to get what they were owed. They never came back and spent between £5,000 and £6,000 on televisions and other goods at Curry’s.

He also reported that £200 had been stolen from a house by a man who had been let in after claiming he was a builder and had distracted the elderly owner.

Recorded crimes for the month totalled 61, which was similar to November. These included ten assaults, nine domestic incidents, nine offences of criminal damage, six thefts, five offences of harassment and four of public order. A shed and fence had also been set on fire.

Ten calls had been made to police relating to anti-social behaviour.

Previous reports of youths causing ASB problems had been resolved and all youths had been dealt with through various schemes and prosecutions. The main offenders, who were from Taunton, had been excluded from the Wellington area. Some damage had been caused to shop windows during the early hours of New Year’s Eve but there had been no issues with any of the public houses in the town. The window damage was being investigated and a possible culprit found.

There had been several reports during the early part of December about vans being broken into on the outskirts of the town, including the Cades Farm area, with tools being stolen. Similar thefts had taken place earlier in the year.

n The town beat surgery is at Wellington Town Council offices every Tuesday between 2-3pm.

Wellington Police Station at the junction of North Street and Victoria Street is still open to the public from 10am-2pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.