“They’re on the rob and they’re looking for easy targets.”

Sgt Graeme Erskine of the Scottish Police force was at the Cawdor Community Council last night and he told the meeting:

"Crime specific to the Cawdor area revolves around bogus workmen, rouge tradesmen type callers, scrap dealer merchants, second hand car dealers who often drive around our rural roads and take opportunities to call at dwelling houses where they see that there is something that takes their fancy. They’ll sometimes call at a house and speak to a householder about maybe, a scrap car, a car that appears to be scrap in the driveway or a house under renovation. 

Just as often as they get an answer at the door, they’ll not get an answer at the door and see that there is something worth stealing in a  garden or the driveway and it’ll be marked up for later removal. We got three calls, and that is fantastic, last Tuesday the 11th of March from residents in the Galcantry area about a particular red transit van with a registration that was supplied to us as well. Callers at the door who were going to buy scrap cars and metal from gardens. So as a result of that, we didn’t trace them at the time but we were able  put a request across to B Division Morayshire so the individuals were identified in the Moray, Elgin, Lossiemouth, Fochabers  area. They are travelling across to our area to see what they can buy ostensibly but we suspect what they can steal also. 

Following on from last Tuesday, last Thursday there was what we call an housebreaking with intent where a person was disturbed, having entered the back door of a house in the Galacantray area but fortunately the inner door was locked and they were disturbed and seen in the far distance in an adjacent field travelling away from the house. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to identify that person but the reason for me raising it is so that we are all very vigilant about being targeted by travelling salesmen, scrap metal dealers. They’re on the rob and they’re looking for easy targets.

So that’s very specific and very current, a red transit van, three persons within. They are very plausible very polite at the door. I would encourage anybody that encounters these individuals to give us a call. "

The Sergeant then gave details of crimes committed in Nairn recently. A little later he added: "We live in a low crime area, we're all very grateful for that. I don't want to put the fear into you so that it destroys how we appreciate the way that we live but bear in mind that there are those, perhaps it is a reflection of our economic times but there are those who are looking for easy pickings [...] so be more security conscious and just call the police  at the earliest opportunity if you see someone suspicious at the door."