ELDERLY people will receive regular visits from police officers as part of a new initiative offering reassurance to the vulnerable and crime victims.

Abingdon police have picked 24 pensioners to take part in the newly-launched Vale Elderly Residents Action (Vera) scheme It will see officers stay in regular touch with over-75s who have either been victims of crime or do not have family and support networks in the area to keep an eye on them.

The first residents to sign up will each be given a Christmas hamper donated by Tesco, containing mince pies, Christmas pudding and biscuits.

The hampers will act as an initial goodwill gesture before the town’s 12 Police Community Support Officers (Pcsos) visit the pensioners at home every few weeks to offer reassurance and crime prevention advice.

Launching the scheme on Friday, Inspector Ian Money said: “These hampers are an ideal opportunity to start giving support to individuals going on the Vera scheme.

“From our point of view, when people are victims of crime, especially the elderly, they lose their confidence and need reassurance just to carry out normal activities.

“We’re trying to target the most elderly and most vulnerable people, who may not have a wide network of friends or family, so that our neighbourhood team can visit them.

“Because we don’t have unlimited resources, we do have to be selective about who is on the scheme, so we are trying to pick the most vulnerable in our community.”

One of the first to join was 85-year-old Lillian Long, of Coromandel, Abingdon.

She discovered three youths burgling her house as she watched TV one Saturday evening in January.

She said: “I must have left my back door open. I was watching TV and looked up and there were two guys in my kitchen and one in my bedroom tipping everything out of my drawers. I was just flabbergasted to see them.

“The guy came rushing out of my bedroom, grabbed my handbag, and said, ‘This is what I’ve been looking for’ and ran out the back door.”

Friend Janet Churlish, 75, of Gainsborough Green, said: “It’s good to know that we get to see the police boys and they will come to visit us old people. At least somebody is interested in us.

“I can get very jumpy at times if I hear a noise.”

Anyone interested in the Vera scheme, which is being backed by Age Concern, should call Pcso Chris Linzey on 08458 505505.

lsloan@oxfordmail.co.uk