POLICE have described two distraction burglaries on vulnerable and disabled victims as "shocking and abhorrent".

Police are now investigating the 'appalling' con-couple who visited two homes in Efford, stealing cash after claiming they were working for a firm which offers protection – against doorstep conartists.

Det Con Paul Otter, lead investigator said the latest case, at around 2pm on Wednesday, saw a man and woman call at an address in Dartmeet Avenue.

The victim, who suffers from cerebral palsy and can only communicate via a electronic talkboard, was tricked into believing the couple worked for the firm which safeguards people against bogus callers and cold callers.

While one of the pair kept him talking the other occasionally left the room.

The victim, who is in his mid 50s, later found that £35 had been taken from his wallet. So far the victim has been unable to give a good description of the couple other than to say they were white.

Investigators learned that just an hour earlier another man in his 50s, with a disability, was called upon by a man and woman in Swale Close, Efford.

Again the pair claimed to be from a company helping protect vulnerable people from cold callers.

The victim told police the man kept him talking in the kitchen for nearly an hour while the woman kept leaving the room to go to the toilet or claim she was checking phone points around the house.

When they left the victim found £80 had been taken from a small safe while a further £50 was stolen from a metal cash box.

He was able to give the police descriptions, saying the woman was white, aged around 22, around 5ft tall with shoulder length wavy hair. She wore light denim jeans, a dark denim jacket, light-coloured shirt and light-coloured trainers.

The man was described as being aged around 45, of average build with medium brown wavy collar-length hair

A police spokesman said: "This is a shocking and abhorrent crime. It's truly despicable. They've quite evidently targeted very vulnerable people.

"One of the victims can only speak through a computer-like board and the other has a care team to look after them.

"This couple have not gone door to door to find a victim. They seem to know the area and know where the vulnerable are.

"Even most criminals would consider this appalling.

"We hope local people will call in because we believe they know who is responsible for these burglaries.

"This is abhorrent targeting of the most vulnerable members of our community."

Anyone with information about the distraction burglaries should call police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference number EC/12/1144 for the Swale Close incident or EC/12/1136 for the Dartmeet Avenue incident.