IT takes a despicable breed of person to prey on the weak and elderly but there seems to be plenty out there.

And while many carp on about bobbies on the beat and visible policing, they still do not grasp the real problems at the root of society today.

There may be some readers who can remember leaving their backdoors open but it's highly probable that the practice is as dead as a dodo.

The current trend of conning old people in their own homes really does bring the message home - it makes you ashamed to be part of the same species.

The spate of cons in Ledbury - the latest when bogus callers pretended to be water workers but, thankfully, left empty-handed - is occurring in many of our rural areas and towns.

The bogus caller robs the elderly of their life savings and of their dignity.

There can be few crimes today which instil such distaste.

But we can do something about it. We can make sure we don't let strangers into our properties and, for those a little younger, we can ensure the safety and security of our senior citizens.

The police are as frustrated as anyone about these heinous crimes. But they need our help. If you see anything suspicious, give them a call and help put a stop to this cancer in society.