NEIGHBOURHOOD Watch members in Darlington are urging residents to report fraudulent callers claiming to be from HM Revenue & Customs.

An 0161 area code number has be used to contact people in the town, with the caller saying the victim must pay an outstanding tax bill otherwise they will be arrested.

The Government department would not demand payment over the phone and any suspicious calls should be reported.

Rachel Banks, of Darlington Police, said: “You should never give bank details over the phone to anyone who contacts you in this way.

“If you cannot verify the identity of the caller, we recommend that you do not liaise with them – you may wish to report the incident to Action Fraud.”

Any victims of fraud can report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300-1232040, or by visiting actionfraud.police.uk