RESIDENTS of a quiet Dorset village fear would-be burglars are using fish vans to scope out their homes.

Police serving Sandford Orcas, three miles north of Sherborne, say they have had reports of a man with a 'grizzly beard' who may have been acting suspiciously.

Officers based in the Cotswolds, Hertfordshire, Cumbria and Wales have recently warned residents of criminals posing as fishmongers to target properties in wealthy areas.

A spokesperson from the Sherborne Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team said homeowners have been visited by a man driving a white van with a refrigeration unit on the roof.

"The person may be running a legitimate business, but due to the way the resident said he was acting and because of his actions, [residents] believe the caller was suspicious," the spokesperson said.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting 18:0098.