POLICE are warning parents of young girls to be on their guard against a bogus health visitor who may try to get into their homes.

A mystery woman has been targeting houses in Winsford and Middlewich, asking people if they have daughters aged up to 18 months old.

So far she has failed to find one - and she loses interest quickly if couples have sons or girls who are older than a year-and-a-half.

Officers are concerned about the women's motives and urge anyone who is approached to ask to see identification - and to check with the health centre she claims to be from.

Police this week revealed that the woman first struck on April Fool's Day in Kingsley Walk, Winsford.

She called at an address and said she was a health visitor.

When questioned, she "mumbled" that there had been a misunderstanding, looked at a red folder and said she would call back later - which she never did.

She is described as being aged between 30 and 35 years, with dark collar length hair, brushed back. She was "heavily made up", spoke with a local accent and was wearing a dark mac with a daffodil in the lapel.

Detectives investigating the visits believe three calls in Middlewich were more serious.

A woman with a similar description as the Kingsley Walk caller made an attempt to get into a house in Byron Close, Middlewich, on April 9.

She flashed an ID card and said she was looking for girls aged from six to 18 months to take part in a survey.

But when she was told they only had a little boy, she lost interest.

She was described as being aged in her early 30s, five foot six inches tall, with dark brown hair to her neck. She had no noticeable accent.

The third attempt came 20 minutes later.

A woman called at a house in Steele Road where she told the owner she was doing a survey.

But this time she was described as aged 40-50 years old, with a thin build, dark, shoulder-length hair and a light blue shirt. She was driving a white Peugeot car with "L" plates.

The final call came at 6.30pm on April 9 at a house also in Steele Road where a father answered the door.

The woman did not say where she was from or show any identification and the man thought she "was very strange".

He noticed she was driving an N-reg white Peugeot 306 with "L" plates.

She was described as aged between 35 and 45, five foot seven inches tall with shoulder length dark brown hair.

The man said she was wearing a beige, full-length cardigan and a dark shirt.

Inspector Kevin Lunn said: "We are very concerned. We have no idea what her motives are. We are appealing to anyone who has had a similar caller to contact us.

"We would also like to warn parents of young female toddlers to be on their guard.

"If they do get a visit, they should insist on proper identification and check with wherever the person says they come from."

He continued: "If they are in a car, try to get the registration number.

"It is possible the woman is genuine. If she is we are asking her to contact us. Although the descriptions do vary slightly, we believe it is the same woman although it is possible there is more than one," he added.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.