Criminal gangs on prowl, Colrs. warn

Sinn Féin Councillor Mickey Cooper has warned that one gang has been targeting homes on the Lower Culmore Road.

He said: “I have been made aware of a number of visits to properties in the Lower Culmore Road area by criminal elements posing as workmen.

“In at least one case I am aware of money was taken from a property after they had convinced the owner to grant them access.

“I have spoken to the police who will be carrying out their own inquires in the area to enable them to take action against these individuals.

“In the meantime if any resident has experienced anything similar and are able to provide descriptions of the perpetrators or their vehicles they should get that information to the police.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Patricia Logue, meanwhile, has urged residents in the Bishop Street and Foyle Road area also to be on the alert for opportunist thieves.

She said: “I was contacted by a number of residents in Foyle Park to say that thieves have been targeting the area in the past week.

“On two occasions attempts were made to steal bikes which were locked up in the rear gardens .The thieves were unsuccessful in one attempt but they damaged all the bike locks.

“Residents are very concerned as this area is a very quiet and a close-knit community.

“These individuals are scoping out areas to look for easy targets, people should secure their property and not make it easy for these criminal gangs.”