Bogus 'damsel in distress'

A well-dressed young woman stole £30 from a resident in Leeds Road, Nelson, on January 2 after pretending her car had been stolen and she needed money for a taxi to Keighley.

Police believe it is the same trickster who struck in Colne, Nelson, and Burnley, on November 4 - and are urging anyone taken in by her sob story to come forward.

Sgt John Fryer said: "She went to the back door of the house and claimed her car had been stolen from Boundary Mill car park and appeared distressed.

"The aggrieved felt sorry for her, at which point she asked if she could have money for a taxi fare back to Keighley.

"The woman gave a name and address in Keighley, promising to return the following day to pay back the money. She then disappeared, never to be seen again."

The woman is white, in her early 20s, with shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair. She was smartly-dressed in a fawn-coloured coat, and was carrying a fawn handbag. She had a local accent.