Police have praised a feisty 81-year-old who kicked two doorstep conmen out of her house.

The pensioner acted when she realised that two conmen pretending to be plumbers had walked into her home.

When they asked her to turn on all her taps so they could check the flow she ordered them out of the house in Barnard Castle, Co Durham.

They pair went out meekly and she slammed the door before calling the police, who praised her yesterday for handling the situation so smartly.

Sergeant Bill Dutton said, "The men were obviously intent on stealing but they were cowards and left empty handed as soon as this lady stood up to them and told them to leave. She was brave, but we prefer all would-be thieves like this to be kept out of houses."

The men opened an unlocked door and went in before the pensioner met them. They claimed to be carrying out official checks on the water supply in the area.

The woman got a good look at the face of only one man. She spent some time with detectives building up a photo-fit picture of him which was released yesterday.

The Northern Echo is leading a national campaign to encourage older people to take steps to improve doorstep security and prevent criminals gaining entry. It also aims to outlaw cold-calling for the purpose of property repairs.

Complaints about bogus callers have soared to record levels in the last couple of years.

Sergeant Dutton said:"We would advise all elderly people to keep their doors locked and use security chains. This enables the identity of callers to be checked before they are allowed to enter.

"This is a despicable kind of offence. We don't want to worry elderly people unduly, but it does happen from time to time. If they are in any doubt they should call police as quickly as possible."

The men went in at 4.45pm on Wednesday May 12, but police carried out a lot of inquiries before releasing details yesterday. Anyone who saw the men, or recognises the photo-fit, is asked to contact Det Con Duncan Gill on 01833-637328.