Police say they didreceive reports of Drumahoe calls

A police spokesperson has advised the Sentinel it has a record of two reports regarding alleged incidents.

“In September 2013 we had a report of an approach by men looking to do tarmacing work. No money changed hands,” the spokesperson stated.

“In June 2014, we had a report of a similar approach to the address. It was reported that a resident paid a large sum of money for work to be carried out.

“A few days later, the ‘workmen’ returned and asked for more money for other work,” he said.

The retired policeman contacted the paper to say his father had been approached by what he alleged were criminal gangs who had forced him to hand over extortionate sums of cash for various routine maintenance jobs over the past year.

The man - who asked not to be named - said his father and other vulnerable older people are being singled out by unscrupulous gangs for exploitation.

He said that on one occasion he arrived at his father’s house to find that some of these suspected criminals had completed a sub-standard painting job, only to demand an over the odds rate. He swiftly contacted the police.