Residents are being warned to stay alert after two men stole almost £1000 from a vulnerable pensioner.

The thieves approached a house in Osbourne Road, Thornton Heath at 4pm on Thursday, and told the resident there was a problem with her water supply.

While one man distracted the woman, who is in her 70s, the other man went upstairs and stole £700, before both of them ran away.

Police are looking for two men. They were white, slim and about 5’9” tall.

The first man, believed to be in his 20s, wore a white shirt, light coloured trousers, white trainers and spoke with an Irish accent, while the second man, believed to be in his 40s, wore a green shirt and light coloured trousers.

In a separate incident on the same day, police arrested and charged Derek Tweddle, 44, of no fixed abode, with artifice burglary, after he allegedly tried to steal from a house in Brighton Road, south Croydon.

Detective Sergeant Simon French from Croydon’s burglary squad said: “If you’re not sure who is at the door, the safest option is not to answer at all.

“In general we would advise all residents not to answer the door to cold callers, always check identification carefully and call the organisation they claim to be from to verify their identity.”

Anyone with information about this incident should call Croydon’s Burglary Squad on 020 8649 1336 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.