BOGUS builders persuade an elderly woman to pay for repairs to her roof - without doing the work.

The men - both aged 30 to 40 - called at the woman's house, in Alvern Avenue, in Fulwood, between 2.30pm and 4.20pm on Tuesday, July 7, in a red van with white lettering on the side.

More than £20,000 worth of professional gardening equipment was stolen from a company in Wigan Road, Leyland, during the night of July 14.

The stolen goods include Ahrest brush cutters, Maxitrim brush cutter, Stihl 12 inch chainsaw, Stihl brush cutters, Stihl hedge cutters, Stihl pressure washer, and various safety items.

A man drove to premises in Holly Place, Walton Summit, Preston, in a white and blue flat-back lorry.

There he tricked the occupants into believing he was a hire firm employee sent to collect a mini excavator worth £13,500. The equipment - a Peljob 12.4, plant number 671021897 - was taken by a white man, described as aged 30 to 40, 5ft 5ins tall, thin, with a drawn face, thinning hair and wearing blue jeans, a blue Nike top with red trim, and black Adidas trainers. He spoke with a local accent. He struck between 1.30pm and 2.30pm on July 17.

A man approached a woman using a cash machine in Winckley Street, Preston, at around 4pm on July 16.

He took her card out, telling her the unit was faulty but when the woman walked away, the man withdrew £200. He is described as white, aged 30, 6ft tall, slim, unshaven, with short dark thick wavy hair and was wearing casual clothes.

Five teenage boys are suspected of breaking into a room at a hotel in Preston New Road, Samlesbury, between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Friday, July 17.

A Hewlett Packard Pentium Processor lap top computer worth £1,000 was taken.

A Toshiba video recorder and remote controls, purses and cash were stolen from a house in Hillcrest Avenue, Ingol, between 7pm and 9.30pm on Saturday, July 18. A man, described as white, about 6ft tall and wearing a hooded tracksuit top and jeans, was chased from the house.

If you can help solve then call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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