TWO conmen who flag motorists down and tell them sob stories to trick them out of cash have struck several times.
They always claim they have to get to hospital, but reckon they have run out of petrol and need some money to buy more.
The way they were operating was first highlighted by Honley Male Voice Choir chairman Norman Mellor who was conned out of £6 when the pair flagged him down on Chain Road between Meltham and Marsden at about 11am last Wednesday morning.
The man told Mr Mellor his uncle was in the car and he was taking him to hospital. He even offered to give Mr Mellor his gold ring in return for help.
He said he was running out of fuel and Mr Mellor gave him £6 to buy some more.
Now several more people have contacted police to say they had been stopped by the men.
One was on Meltham Road near Marsden last Wednesday morning when the man claimed he was going to see his daughter who had been in an accident.
At 11.30am the same day a man from Salendine Nook was stopped on New Hey Road, Buckstones, and the conman claimed he was a tourist who had run out of petrol and needed it to get a baby to hospital.
The final sighting was on Saturday morning on Wilshaw Road in Meltham when the men stopped a woman and one man said his baby was in hospital and he had run out of petrol.
This time he said he was a Turkish tourist.
Both men are Eastern European. One is scruffy and in his 30s. The other is in his early 20s.
Det Con Russ Conlon, of Kirklees CID intelligence unit, said: "The men often offer a gold ring in exchange for money for petrol, but they know no-one would take it.
"This is now clearly a con and if anyone else is stopped by them we would urge them to get a good description of the car they are using and its registration number. Also call police immediately on 999."
Anyone with information about the conmen should phone Huddersfield police helpdesk on 01484 436659 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
