POLICE have issued a warning to elderly people after three incidents involving bogus officials.

Officers believe they were carried out by the same team of criminals, who may also have been responsible for five similar burglaries in Chester and Frodsham.

The incidents in Crewe all took place last Thursday afternoon.

Two men called at houses in Stamp Avenue, Smallman Road and Samuel Street claiming to be carrying out safety checks after water or gas leaks.

They were let into the houses after producing bogus identification cards.

In each case the occupiers became suspicious about their behaviour and followed them round the house before asking them to leave.

Detective Sergeant Andy McGillan said: "We're fairly certain all three incidents were the work of a team, although they didn't necessarily involve the same two men on each occasion.

"The men involved were between 30 and 40, wore blue shirts and spoke with an Irish accent.

"In these cases, because people were suspicious, nothing was taken. We'd advise people to be very careful before letting anyone into their homes.

"Check IDs closely. If you're in doubt, call the company to confirm that the caller is genuine, or call us on 0845 458 0000.

"We would also ask relatives, friends and neighbours to keep elderly people aware of this and generally look out for them.

"This sort of crime is particularly nasty. The criminals target elderly people and can cause a lot of distress.

"That doesn't interest them. They just want cash or valuables which are easy to dispose of."