ROGUE salesmen are preying on pensioners left worried by a spate of burglaries in a "deplorable" scam.

Police said the pair used fake identification to con their way into homes in Colne before offering to fit a security system, they say is worth £95, for £40 cash.

The systems, which are supposed to allow people to check who is calling through a speaker system before opening the door, do not work.

Officers believe the conmen have targeted the Colne residents as they are preying on the fear following four burglaries on sheltered accommodation flats last week.

A 72-year-old partially deaf and blind woman from Birtwistle Avenue had her handbag and her collapsible white stick stolen, while 88-year-old Maisie Lachman woke to an intruder flashing a torch in her eyes in the bedroom of her flat in Boulsworth Drive, Trawden.

Another elderly woman, who came face-to-face with her attacker in the early hours, had £140 stolen after the burglar unplugged her phone.

And a 91-year-old man in St Stephen's Way had £150 cash and a silver watch stolen.

All the burglaries happened late on Sunday December 10 or in the early hours of the Monday.

Now the conmen are targeting worried pensioners in the Boulsworth Drive area of Trawden and preying on the fear of further incidents.

Police Constable Mark Whitehead said the two fraudsters, who were both white with one in his 40s and the other in his 60s, were smartly dressed and using fake ID cards. He said they were almost certainly attracted to the area by the attacks.

He said: "It is a deplorable crime to target the elderly and I would encourage anybody else who has been a victim to come forward.

"It's also important to call us if there is someone suspicious at your door.

"Many elderly people feel concerned that they are bothering police but they are not - the police will always be happy to come round and verify a caller for them and ensure that they are not going to be a victim of crime."

Anyone with information about the burglaries or the conmen can call police on 01282 425001 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.