Police have stepped in to protect a vulnerable person from being the victim of 'cuckooing' in their own home.

Following community concerns about a vulnerable resident in Bodmin, a partial closure order was granted to safeguard them from being exploited in their own home.

The partial closure order was granted on Tuesday, September 10 at an address in the town and will be in place for three months.

The order states that no one other than the named tenant, police officers, social workers and/or health professionals can enter or remain at the address.

The sign warning of the partial closure of the property (Image: Devon and Cornwall Police) Inspector Adam Stonehill said: “We use closure orders for a number of reasons – in this instance, we worked closely with our partners to obtain this order to protect the victim from coming to harm.

"The resident had been a victim of cuckooing, which is a practice where criminals take over a person’s home and use the property for exploitation purposes and personal gain.

“The partial closure order will help us to protect this vulnerable person, allowing us to remove people from the property who may look to take advantage of the victim. Officers will be able to enforce consequences to those individuals that shouldn’t be there.

“We take these offences very seriously and will always do what we can to protect vulnerable people from being a victim of crime. Alongside our local partners, we will continue to engage with the victim, making sure necessary safeguarding and wellbeing support is in place.

“These closure orders are only made possible through the support of local residents and partner agencies raising their concerns to police.

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"I would like to encourage the public to report something that doesn’t look quite right.

"Have you seen an increase in the number of people entering a property near you, especially at unusual times? Or have you noticed an increase in unfamiliar vehicles outside an address in your neighbourhood? These are all signs of possible cuckooing.

"Please report any information to us – together, we can help protect vulnerable people in our communities. Thank you.”

For more information about cuckooing and exploitation, visit the Devon & Cornwall Police website.

If you would like to raise a concern with the police, report via the force website or call 101. If a crime is taking place, call 999. Information can also be passed 100 per cent anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111, or via their website.

If you have been affected by crime, visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.