BOGUS workmen have been operating in Burnley, preying on vulnerable people, police said.

Officers are urging residents to be on their guard against the conmen after several incidents in the Lowerhouse area.

The warning follows complaints from elderly residents in the area about a man knocking on doors and telling home-owners that he has cleared their gutters and drains.

He has then asked them for £70 for the work which doesn’t appear to have been carried out.

PC Lee Richards said: “This man doesn’t app-ear to have carried out any work at all.

“It seems he is simply preying on elderly resi-dents and extracting money from them.

“I would urge all home-owners not to part with money unless they wanted the work doing, know the person doing the work and are satisfied that the work is of the required quality.

“I would also urge anyone with inform-ation about the identity of this man to come forward.”

The man is described as aged around 50, 5ft 8in and of heavy build, with short greying hair.

He was wearing jeans and a dark-coloured jumper with a blue body warmer.

He was accompanied by a man in his 20s.

The warning is the latest in a series of incidents in East Lancashire where concerns have been raised over bogus workmen.

Police issued a warning in the Gannow and Coalclough areas of Burnley after a spate of bogus workmen incidents last week.

A Nelson woman had £5 stolen by a man who tricked his way into her house and an Accrington woman paid more than £1,000 to a bogus damp-proof firm.