Residents have been warned to ‘remain vigilant’ after a man purporting to be from an energy company was asking to gain entry to homes.

On Tuesday, officers in Clitheroe said a smartly dressed man had been knocking on doors at around 8pm, in Eshton Terrace, and telling people that he ‘needed to go and look in their loft’. 

Despite patrols scouring the area, police said they did not catch up with the man and find out exactly where he was from and what he was doing.

PC Ailsa Gill posted: “It may well be that he was genuine but his manner was such that it unsettled someone enough to ring us. 

“Please remain vigilant to this type of cold calling. Anyone who is genuine will not mind you checking their ID and waiting at the door whilst you either ring their company or ring us. 

“Older people especially tend to be more trusting and polite, so we would ask you to pass this message on to any older relative or neighbour who may not have access to Facebook/social media.

“If you have a similar visit and are suspicious, please contact us on 101 and we can check out who's in the area. Let's look after each other.”