POLICE have issued a warning to elderly residents following a spate of bogus calls in Stockton.

Men claiming to be from Northumbrian Water have called at several houses in the town, tricking their way into homes of elderly people.

In one of the latest incidents, a man called at the house of a 78-year-old woman and asked to be allowed in to turn off the water because a pipe was leaking.

After he left she noticed her handbag containing personal items and about £200 in cash had been stolen.

PC Eddie Lincoln, from Stockton's Crime Reduction Unit, urged residents to be on their guard. He said: "Always check people's identity when they call uninvited to your home. If you have a door chain use it to stop them from forcing their way in.

"If you are unhappy with any caller do not allow them inside your home. Call the organisation they say they are from to check they are genuine. If you are still unsure, call the police."

A spokeswoman from Northumbrian Water said if anybody from the organisation required access into a customer's home it would be with prior arrangement.

She said: "If a resident is still unsure of a caller's identity claiming to be from Northumbrian Water or the Water Board after checking their identity card, they should ring our customer contact centre on 08457 171100 for confirmation."