Two arrested after fraudsters tried to force elderly woman to withdraw money from bank

Suspected fraudsters were arrested as they tried to force a vulnerable old woman to withdraw a 'substantial' amount of money from her bank.

Police swooped on the pair at a branch in Bolton town centre this morning (Wednesday) after being alerted by a suspicious member of staff. Officers from GMP's specialist Tactical Vehicle Intercept Team - who are more used to chasing burglars and robbers in stolen cars - were first on the scene on Market Street.

Two men, aged 27 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of fraud. One of the men is also wanted for other offences.

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They are currently being questioned by detectives. Police suspect the men had earlier knocked on the victim's door, demanded she withdraw the money then took her to the bank

Sgt Paul Lockett from our TVIU team said: "Our work doesn’t always involved fast-paced pursuits, but on this occasion with us being able to respond rapidly and the knowledge of the bank staff that something wasn’t right and to report it instead, we managed to startle them and catch them there and then before any harm could be done.

"In this incident, I think we can all agree that extorting and taking advantage of vulnerable people in our society for quick monetary gain is one of the most shocking and heartbreaking acts you can do. We now have district detectives questioning them on their motives and actions and we were able to return the lady who was understandably upset and confused back to her home safely whilst informing her loved ones."

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting incident 985 of October 2, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.