TIMES

A PENSIONER who has been targeted by scammers five times has issued a warning for people to be aler t

Denis Robinson, 85, has been the target of multiple scams with the former journalist being hit five times by five different scammers

Mr Robinson is now being suppor ted by a par tnership between Nationwide Building Society and older person ’ s charity Independent Age

The warning comes as analysis of data from Nationwide Building Society showed 25 percent of all scam victims are aged 65 and over enis described an example of one of the scams, something that is commonly known as a doorstep scam

Among the most frequent of scams is what's known as an impersonation scam - this is where the criminal claims to be from an official agency or acts as a family member.

This is where rogue traders can knock at someone ' s door, claiming to have noticed something about the home which needs work or improvement

Some will prey on the elderly who may require help around the house to offer ser vices at an inflated price

Denis explained: “The most spectacular scam was when I had a glossy leaflet through my door adver tising gardening ser vices for older people , it looked professional and as a result I didn’t think to check how much the person would charge

“After two hours’ work, he told me I owed him £2,300 and said he’d be in trouble with his boss if I didn’t pay up. I was numb with shock

“Luckily I didn’t have that amount of cash in the house so said I would need some time , he was going to come back two days later, but I contacted the police and never heard from him again ”

Unfor tunately, Denis was then targeted again, he continued: “I’ve also had someone knock on my door, demand- ing money for work they had done on the outside of the house while I was out I’ve had someone who stole £100 from me after asking me if I had change for £5 ”

Instances of these types of scams are tragically common, and older people are often preyed upon. Shockingly, the data also showed that if someone over the age of 65 becomes a victim to this type of scam then they are likely to lose more than twice the amount of money compared to someone younger

Denis has now warned people to remain vigilant: “You can feel foolish when it comes to scams, and the scammers can be so brazen It’s impor tant to know how to protect yourself, and to have the emotional suppor t there if needed.”

Nationwide and Independent Age are now working together to provide additional suppor t for older members who fall victim to a scam.

Keeping shops sa fe

OFFICERS from Essex Police Business Crime Team have been busy helping the retail sector stay open for business and closed for crime during the past year

Par t of their work involves liaising with business owners, store managers and community policing teams in all districts to deter and prevent persistent offending, such as shoplifting

In the 12 months to 31 March 2023, cour ts imposed criminal behaviour orders on 21 prolific shoplifters across Essex thanks to this par tnership

The team is currently working with the Crown Prosecution Ser vice to apply in cour ts for a fur ther 12 CBOs with more in the pipeline

Rape v ict im’s torment

A woman from Colchester who was raped while she slept has seen her attacker finally brought to justice.

The woman, who told a court she struggled to leave her house following the attack, enduring years of delays due to the pandemic before finally facing a trial

She was supported throughout the case by a specialist detective and an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA)

Her attacker, 24-year- old Shaun Western, was convicted of rape at Chelmsford Crown Court and sentenced to six years and six months

Jailed for t orture ordeal

TWO offenders who tor tured a man across an hours-long ordeal have been jailed for a combined 24 years thanks to an extensive investigation

Wayne Kavanagh, 32 and Thomas Sitek, 27, were sentenced at Basildon Crown Cour t after hearing that Kavanagh and Sitek were having a sparring session with boxing gloves at a house in Canewdon Road, Rochford, but then turned on the poor victim and treated him like a punch bag

Kavanagh of West Road, Shoebur yness, was jailed for 14 years and Sitek, of Elmsleigh Drive , Leigh, 10 years and six months.

THE pub at the centre of a race row becase of its collection of ‘black’ dolls, has pulled its last pint and been forced to close because suppliers pulled the plug on deliveries

Five Essex Police officers removed the offensive dolls from behind the bar at the White Hart Inn, Grays, following a hate crime allegation.

But within a week CAMRA, the real ale organiation, removed the pub from its Good Beer Guide and took down the Pub of the Year dispay

The biggst blow came at the start of May when Heineken and Carlsberg told the pub to stop serving its lager, while maintenance company Innserve refused to continue working on site. This led to the pub's leaseholders closing the doors to customers

Co-leaseholder Benice Ryley cited opposition from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) and the suppliers, and said: "I've had enough "

The police seized the dolls on 4 April and the building was vandalised with white paint and had its windows damaged on 16 April.

Mrs Ryley said the collection of about 30 dolls were donated by her late aunt and from customers, and had been in the pub for nearly 10 years

"If they don't like it, they don't have to come through the door," she told the BBC last month.

Heineken UK spokesperson said it told the pub on 20 April to stop serving its beer, and that it would stop supplying materials such as glasses, and said in a statement:

"After being made aware of the abhorrent display feature in the White Hart Inn, we advised the pub owners that we want nothing more to do with them

“They go against everything we stand for. We believe pubs should be places of inclusivity and respect for all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion or gender."

Camra national chairman Nik Antona saidy: "We believe pubs are for everyone - there is never a place for discrimination."

Admiral Taverns, the company which owns the pub building, said: "The licensees have made us aware of their decision to leave the pub. We will be looking to reopen the pub under the management of new licensees "

The dolls are thought to date back to minstrel entertainment shows, when typically white actors painted their faces black and depicted negative stereotypes of black people.

It became a fictional character that appeared in books from Florence Kate Upton in the late 19th Century. The name for the dolls has since been used as a racial slur.

Kiistone really helped with a unconventional transaction, it was a credit to work with Tim and the team who where there to help on both sides immediately. We will definitely be using Kiistone again and would highly recommend to others.

TRUST PILOT REVIEW