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Elderly brothers latest victims of the “Rolex Ripper” gang

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Two brothers have become the latest victims of the “Rolex Rippers” – a gang of thieves who target elderly men wearing the valuable watches.

It’s thought the thieves have struck more than 15 times over the last few months.

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The robberies are concentrated around affluent aras and golf course in Dorset, Hampshire, and Surrey.

The victims are approached by two women with Eastern European accents and carrying a blue clipboard.

They pretend they are collecting signatures to help deaf and dumb children.

However, within minutes, they have grabbed the watch or money and made off in a waiting car parked nearby.

Brothers Michael and David Parry were separately targeted several months and 80 miles apart.

Michael Parry, 84, a farmer from the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, said:

“The modus operandi was the same as the other cases – it was two people, with a blue clipboard asking me to sign it for charity to help deaf people.

“I took the clipboard and signed it as I did not have any money on me.

“Then she put her hand out, which I thought was to thank me, but then she grabbed hold of me and pushed me against my car door and started screaming at the top of her voice.

“The change was just so sudden and enormous; she was screaming her head off.

“It was like she was having a fit. It was so out of the blue.

“I was trying to push her away because I worried that if anyone came around the corner, they would have thought that I was attacking her.

“What I hadn’t realised was that she was scratching away at my wrist and eventually she pulled my Rolex watch off.

“Then she jumped over the wall and ran into the car, and they were off.”

The police were called but took two hours to arrive.

No arrests have been made and the watch is still missing.

Mr Parry said: “The gang would have gotten rid of that watch so fast it’s not true.”

His brother, David Parry, 91, was targeted in a similar attack in Farnham, Surrey.

The robbers made off with £300 in cash he had just withdrawn from the bank.

 

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