COMMUNITY leaders in Blackburn have vowed to stamp out an epidemic of bogus callers who have tricked vulnerable pensioners into handing over cash.

Bank Top Community Association has started a massive leaflet drop operation in the district warning residents about a spate of deception burglaries, along with advice on how to cope with suspicious callers claiming to be from utility companies.

At the same time residents are being urged to join a new neighbourhood watch scheme.

Eddie Duxbury, vice-chairman of the association, said they decided to unite the community in the fight against crime after a number of pensioners fell victim to thieves tricking their way into homes and demanding money, including one of the association's members.

He said: "We are targeting the community with this leaflet about bogus callers and posting information inviting everyone to join a neighbourhood watch scheme.

"In particular, we are targeting the Montague View flats, which have lots of elderly and vulnerable people living there. They have suffered the most."

In January an elderly member of the association fell victim to a conman claiming to be from an electricity company.

He said: "The Bank Top Community Association is very, very perturbed about this problem. One of our members, who is over 70, lives in a flat at Montague View and returned from shopping and found a man waiting for her in the hallway. "He said he was from the electricity board and she let him in. Straight away he demanded her pension and she gave him nearly £100.

"It was a very frightening experience for her.

"Because of this and other similar incidents we are doing whatever we can to try and alert the vulnerable and elderly members of our community, while encouraging them to join the Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

"We would like to get the whole community of Bank Top to join the scheme. That's a big area."

Mr Duxbury said the leaflets were delivered with a questionnaire, in a pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope which, if returned, goes straight to Blackburn police.

Mr Duxbury said he had also heard stories of callers posing as representatives of Twin Valley Homes -- the private company who will be taking over all council properties in April.

The police officer responsible for the Bank Top district, Inspector Judith Finney, said: "I would ask residents to support these people who are working with the police to address this local problem."