Conmen posing as Syrian refugees in Shropshire scam

Officers have received reports that motorists have been flagged down on one of the county's rural roads by men claiming to be from the war-torn country and in need of help.

The three men are thought to be operating a scam that dates back at least a decade, where they offer motorists jewellery, which turns out to be fake, in exchange for cash for fuel.

However, claiming links to the Syrian refugee crisis is a novel take on the scam, which a local councillor has branded "appalling".

A spokesman for West Mercia Police's south Shropshire safer neighbourhood team said the reports had come from the A488, one of the main arteries though the south west of the county from Shrewsbury to Clun.

He said: "We have had reports of three Asian males claiming to be from Syria flagging down drivers on the A488 and asking for money for fuel in return for 'jewellery'. The males were also asking for bank details so that they could pay the driver back."

Inspector Rob Thomas said he had been made aware of an incident on the B4385 in the same area, around Bishop's Castle, on Friday.

"I can be confident these men are not refugees," he said.

There was a rash of such roadside jewellery scams in the county in May, on the A49 in Shrewsbury, the A5 at Crackley Bank in Shifnal and the B5062 between Shrewsbury and Roden.

On that occasion the men were believed to be of Eastern European origin but otherwise the details were similar.

The men flagged passing vehicles down in lay-bys, claiming to have run out of petrol, then offered to sell the motorist a "valuable gold ring" so they would have money to buy some. The jewellery is believed to be worthless.

Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, said she drove on the A488 almost every day and was shocked that scammers would sink so low as to use the plight of refugees in their story.

She said: "It's appalling – it's trading on people's sympathy for refugees but might actually mean people become less so.

"There is a tremendous amount of sympathy for Syrian refugees out there, my fellow councillors and I have been flooded with requests from people asking what they can do to help.

"But this could mean people will begin to believe men like these are from Syria – which they very clearly are not.

"Whoever it is needs to be caught and locked up," she said.

"Also that road is not very safe – it's long and windy and it's very difficult to stop there, so there's a chance of them causing an accident," she added.