POLICE are urging communities to be wary of doorstep fraudsters following the arrest of three men on suspicion of fraudulent activity.

On Monday, officers received reports of potential bogus workmen offering to clean gutters in residential areas of Whitley Bay.

The work was advertised as costing as little as £40 but, in one incident, the price soared to an eye-watering sum of £3,500.

Faced with a large bill and mounting pressure, a man in his 80s signed a cheque but later called his bank to halt the transaction and swiftly contacted police.

The next day, thanks to joint work between Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary, three men, aged 42, 37 and 31, were located in the Durham area and arrested on suspicion of fraud.

They remain in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Brooks, has praised the elderly gentleman for swiftly contacting police and issued a warning to others.

He said: “Offenders will often try and reel you in with a bargain offer but in most cases that initial price will increase dramatically. In this case the man in question says he was then quoted an extra £3460 – that’s 87.5 times the original starting price.

“Scammers and bogus workmen can be very manipulative with their victims and usually they will become aggressive and pushy when they are not getting what they want.

“I am full of praise for the gentleman for contacting police quickly after the transaction turned sour.”

He added: “We always advise people to take their time, do not be rushed and double check what the seller is telling you. If a price seems too good to be true – then it probably is and probably won’t remain that low.

“If you are ever unsure whether a workman is legitimate – say no and use a trusted phone number or website to verify the business information they gave you.

“If you suspect you are dealing with a potentially bogus business – please contact police and look out for your neighbours.”