With the festive season here, unscrupulous individuals will take advantage of the situation to commit crimes. Police have had reports of suspects who appear to target elderly persons on their way to a bank in Harding Street.

On December 3 a 55-year-old resident parked his vehicle and made his way to the bank. Along the way a man bumped into him and in apology he hugged the resident.

Only once the resident arrived at the bank did he realise that the man had stolen his cell phone from out of his shirt pocket.
A case of theft is being investigated by police.

While on December 1 at about 1.20pm a 58-year-old woman was on her way to the bank when a man pushed her to the ground, grabbed her handbag and fled. A case of common robbery is being investigated.

Estcourt SAPS have placed police officials strategically on the ground in an effort to identify, trace and arrest the suspects involved in these crimes.

In the interest of safety, police advise members of the community to be very vigilant when walking in town. If possible, have someone accompany you or walk in a group. Place valuable items in pockets that zip-up or button close and to which easy access is difficult.

Be wary of suspicious acting people standing around in the street or near the bank and report such to police. If you do happen to become a victim of crime, try to remember as much detail about the suspect and what he/she was wearing. Relate this detail to police.