Police have issued a warning after a spate of bogus calls in the Braintree district.

At about 3.40pm last Wednesday, November 1, two men called at a property in Cressing Road, purporting to be from the gas board.

They said that they needed to check the electricity in the kitchen and, once inside, stole £30 from a purse and searched every wardrobe.

On the same day, between 3.15pm and 4.15pm, a man called at a property in Notley Road, claiming to be from an electricity company.

He had no identification and the occupier was suspicious and stayed with the man at all times while he was in the property. Nothing is believed to have been stolen.

Then, at about 9pm, two men knocked at a house in Goldingham Drive, saying that they were from a gas and electricity company.

They pushed past the elderly occupant and took £100 from a purse. The men are described as white, well dressed, aged about 25 and of medium build. Both had dark hair and spoke with Irish accents.

A Braintree police spokesman said: "We have had a few of these incidents reported to us lately. We are linking all of them and have had reports from Halstead as well.

"We would urge people to ask for identification and, if in doubt, to shut the door and ring the police."

Anyone who has information is asked to contact Braintree Police on 01376 551312 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

By Clare Berrett

Reporter's e-mail: clare.berrett@essex-chronicle.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.