A bogus window cleaner is targeting the elderly across Bristol. But it's not just pensioners who should be on their guard – it is every single person who lives in the city.

For distraction burglary is a heinous crime with quite often hidden consequences. It can be truly devastating.

So many never really recover from being victims of this type of crime, where the perpetrator pretends to be an official with the sole aim of getting inside the house and stealing. The victim is distracted by the crook or an accomplice so items can be stolen.

Not only is there the loss of possessions or money but many feel their homes have been violated.

And tragically, when police officers make return visits, weeks or months later, they often find the victim has died.

In fact it is a crime which is often under-reported, with the victim of the con feeling responsible, embarrassed at being tricked or not even linking missing property to the stranger who called.

Sometimes they even fear telling their own family in case they are viewed as not being able to live independently.

The latest offences in Bristol involve a man pretending to be a window cleaner, asking residents to pay for a year's work and then never returning to do it.

But it could be someone pretending to represent a utility company, a child who has lost a ball, a woman claiming to have broken down or any number of other plausible reasons

And although the priority message has to be for householders to satisfy themselves that a caller is genuine and for doors to be kept locked and only opened with a chain on, it is also the community's responsibility to be vigilant.

The next victim could be your loved one, so it is up to every single one of us to be aware of the strange car in the street, the unknown man or woman or even a child knocking on doors and inform the police if you have suspicions.