A warning has been issued after a pensioner from Belmont reported being burgled by two men posing as “water board staff” on Thursday, November 15.

A pensioner from Belmont reported to a nurse that two men, pretending to be staff from the water board needed access to her place, so they could close off the water mains.

The two males explained that this was just a check to make sure the couple had enough water.

The fraudsters then picked a convenient time when the elderly couple was distracted, and one male made their way through the bedroom and found a handbag.

A bank card and £300 was stolen, the lady of the house reported. The incident was reported and dealt with by the police.

Trading Standards have since warned residents in the Sutton area to be more vigilant and not to give access to cold callers without making sure who they really are.

This may mean refusing access to them until you have double checked with your utility supplier to find out whether there really is staff working in the area.

A spokesman said: "Any genuine workman will be happy for their credentials to be checked by householders.

"But be warned: Use contact numbers for the utilities you have obtained yourself, as business cards and fliers offered to you could contain bogus telephone numbers that could be operated by the rogues themselves”.