Rogue traders thwarted by Salisbury woman's quick thinking

One man's been arrested following an incident in Bishopdown

Author: Aaron HarperPublished 25th Apr 2024

A man's been arrested following a suspected rogue trader incident in Salisbury - but a second man remains wanted by police.

Two men visited a home of a woman in Jewell Close in Bishopdown on Friday last week (19th April) to clean gutters.

They claimed to the homeowner that the roofing required replacing, demanding £2,500 to make the repairs.

The woman agreed to may part of the sum but, in a moment of quick-thinking, she flagged down officers whilst at a nearby cash point.

The officers returned to her home and arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of handling stolen goods and fraud by false representation.

He has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.

A second man escaped from the scene and officers are attempting to locate him.

He is described as a white male, aged between 30 and 40, wearing a blue baseball cap, white t-shirt or shirt, with blue gilet, blue jeans and brown work boots.

Sgt James Barrett said: “As part of our enquiries we are keen to speak with anyone who saw a van in the area and believes these two men knocked on their door. If you have CCTV or doorbell footage which could assist, please get in touch.”

If you can help, call 101 and quote crime reference number 54240044765.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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