BUSINESSES in Darwen are being warned by police of a credit card con recently used to trick £190 out of a restaurateur.

The ploy involves conmen using other people's credit card details to book meals at pubs or restaurants and cancelling at the last minute so they can ask for a cash refund.

Det Con John Entwistle of Darwen Police, said: "People are getting hold of someone else's credit card details, ringing the restaurant and booking a meal for about 20 people and asking if they can pay on the credit card up front.

"Then when it comes to the day of the meal just five of them turn up and say the others have had to cancel and they ask for a cash refund.

"We had one this week at The Old Rosin's Inn at Pickup Bank where they got away with £190. The owners of these businesses need to be aware not to give refunds in cash if someone has paid by card. They should put it back on the card again.

"No one knows what has happened until the person whose credit card it is gets their statement.

"It's quite a regular trick. We get a few of these kind of things over the course of the year and it's always people refunding cash."