Residents have been told to be aware of a road surfacing scam with an incident in Crowland among those reported.
Lincolnshire Police say they’ve received numerous reports of the incidents which involves chippings – commonly referred to as ‘tarmac’ – have been dumped on several business premises without the landowners’ consent, followed by intimidating demands for payment.
A police spokesman: “We’re urging the public to remain vigilant and we are appealing for any information that may assist our enquiries.
“A truck suspected of dumping the stones on one occasion is believed to be an Iveco three‑and‑a‑half‑tonne tipper, fitted with orange flashing lights.
“One business owner had been given a spurious story of nearby vehicle being damaged with the driver of the truck asking for ‘a favour’ to be able ‘to offload rubble while he helped with the recovery of the damaged vehicle’.
“They were then told that they owed significant amounts of money, with intimidating threats being made should payment not be forthcoming.”
CID Detective Constable Rebecca Graves, investigating these cases, said: “We are asking that you to notify us immediately if you become aware of another instance. Do not hand over any money and inform us immediately. Please spread the word on these scams far and wide.”
Rebecca Money, senior Trading Standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “It’s incredibly sad and frustrating to see criminals targeting local businesses in this way.
“If your business is approached by people saying they need to dump materials on your land or premises, it’s important that you do not agree, do not sign anything and do not hand over any money.
“Instead, report it to Lincolnshire Police and the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. By reporting incidences, you are helping us to gather intelligence and build an accurate picture of this criminal activity.”
To contact police on this issue you can ring 101, stating reference ‘26000039877 or email [email protected], quoting ‘Niche 26000039877’ in the subject line or anonymously, via the Crimestoppers website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously
You can also get in touch with Citizens Advice via: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer or calling the consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
