Officers investigating the burglary of an elderly man’s home in Willesley, near Malmesbury have arrested a 33-year-old man.
The suspect was arrested by Wiltshire Police’s Fortitude team on Friday (April 28) who travelled to Birmingham to follow up on evidence secured by responding community officers.
On Monday afternoon (April 24) the victim, a man in his 80s, awoke to find a stranger in the hallway of his home, wearing a high-viz jacket.
When confronted, the stranger asked him if he had any scrap metal for sale before leaving when he was told that there was none in the property.
He later found that a substantial amount of money was missing from his wallet and an internal CCTV camera had been stolen.
Detective sergeant Darren Penny said: “This was a despicable crime against a vulnerable member of the public. The impact of burglary is not limited to loss of property but is also an invasion of privacy which can have a huge impact.
“Thanks to a prompt response by Fortitude officers, working closely with our Community Policing Team, we have been able to rapidly secure evidence, identify and arrest a suspect.
“Burglars should know that Wiltshire is no easy target.”
The suspect has been released on conditional bail to appear before Swindon Magistrates on June 29.
Members of the public should report similar crimes at the earliest opportunity by calling 101 or online.
