ELDERLY folk have been warned to be extra vigilant when answering the door to so-called officials.

The advice from Kidderminster Police follows two incidents in which bogus callers struck at homes in Bewdley and Kidderminster.

On Saturday at 8.15pm a man knocked the door of the Bewdley home of a woman in her 70s and claimed to be from the water board.

While he kept her occupied a second man broke in through a rear window and started to search the Springhill Rise home, before the woman spotted him and challenged the pair.

They both ran away, along with a third man seen standing at the garden gate.

One of the men was white, aged about 22, and was 5ft 6in tall, of medium build and with dark brown hair. The other offender, also white, was about 5ft 4in tall and aged 18. He was of slim build and had brown, slightly wavy hair.

He was wearing blue jeans and a dark pullover with one red stripe and one wide white stripe across the chest.

Then on Monday two men claiming to be from the gas board entered the home of a woman in her 80s and stole her purse, which contained a small amount of cash. Both were white, about 5ft 8in tall and aged between 20 and 30.

They struck at the property in Kidderminster's George Street at 1.05pm.

Police spokeswoman Caroline Schubert said: "We want people to be on their guard. If a stranger calls at your home, do not let them in until you are certain they are who they say they are.

"A genuine official will not mind waiting while you call their company and check their identity."