AN elderly woman has become the latest victim of doorstep conmen after they tricked their way into her home.

The pensioner let a man into her home in the Cockton Hill area of Bishop Auckland, in County Durham, at about midday on Tuesday, after he said he was carrying out work on the building next door and needed to check a wall from her side.

While she was in the backyard with the bogus caller, a second man entered her house and stole cash from an upstairs room.

It is the latest in a string of distraction thefts in the region. On Monday, a 103-year-old Darlington woman was tricked out of £100 by bogus callers.

Home Office figures reveal there have been 600 incidents in Durham, Cleveland and Northumberland in the past three months.

Experts from the Home Office's Distraction Burglary Task Force met utility companies at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, earlier this month, to discuss how they can tackle the crime in the region.

Detective Constable Jim Lawrie, from Bishop Auckland police, said: "This happened in a busy part of town, where there were shops and workers around, and we think somebody may have seen something.

Anybody who has seen anything suspicious should contact us on (01388) 603566."

The man is described as about 30, about 5ft 8in, slim, with short brown hair, clean shaven and dark colouring.