POLICE are warning residents to be on their guard against bogus officials after an 82-year-old woman from Moreton was the victim of a distraction burglary.

The incident took place at an address in Town Meadow Lane, Moreton, on Wednesday, September 15, at around 10am.

The victim was approached by a man who called at the door claiming to have been working on the house next door and needed to check the water supply.

While she was waiting for the alleged blue dye to come through the taps, a second man entered her home and stole a quantity of cash.

The man who called at the door is described as white, of strong build, in his early to mid 20s with short dark hair.

He was clean shaven with blue eyes, a large face, red lips and a pale complexion. He was wearing a navy fleece jacket with a red emblem on the chest.

The incident was one of several in the area where men posing as workmen or from the water board have been calling at the homes of elderly people under the guise of needing to check their water supply for leaks.

As a result, police in the Moreton and West Wallasey area have distributed crime prevention leaflets to residents warning them to be vigilant and not to let any unknown people into their home before checking their identification.

Moreton and West Wallasey Neighbourhood Inspector Pete Kolokotroni said: "We urge residents to be on their guard and not to let anyone into their home claiming to be from the local authority, a water company or from the gas or electricity board unless it is a pre-arranged appointment.

"Distraction burglars often pose as bogus officials and pretend they are from the local council but have forgotten identification, from the water board and are dealing with leaks, burst pipes or flooding, or pretend to be a salesman or a builder claiming that the roof needs fixing.

"These types of crimes targeting vulnerable people are despicable and we take reports of such offences extremely seriously.

"We ask anyone with any information to contact us so we can help bring these offenders to justice and urge residents to exercise caution when unexpected callers call at their homes."

Anyone with any information about the incident in Moreton last Wednesday, or who may have seen a man matching this description, is asked to call officer at Wirral CID on 0151 777 2340.