DETECTIVES are appealing for information and urging residents to be vigilant following a series of incidents involving rogue traders in Dorset.

A number of incidents have been reported across the county in recent weeks.

On July 17 a woman aged in her 60s reported that a man had attended her address in Boscombe claiming he was from a water company and that drainage works were being carried out in the area.

Shortly afterwards she received a telephone call from a man demanding £650 up front in cash or the woman’s bank card as a security deposit for a piece of equipment that would need to be installed.

The woman refused to give any details.

On July 31 an Upton woman in her 80s was visited by a man claiming he needed her phone number in relation to a delivery.

She later received a call from a man claiming to be from a drain company who said aerial photos showed her trees had caused drains to become blocked and she would have to pay £600 for machinery to fix it. A man later attended the address and she gave him £300.

On Friday 2 August it was reported that a man had attended an address in Hamworthy and told the owner, a woman aged in her 80s, that there was a blockage further up the road that could result in flooding to her flat.

He took her telephone number and she later received a call from a man purporting to be from the council, saying she needed to pay £1,200 for equipment to prevent the flooding.

After receiving repeated calls she went to the bank to withdraw the money but, after taking advice from a neighbour, did not hand it over when a man came to collect it and told him she would be contacting police.

The following day a woman aged in her 60s reported a man had attended her flat in Weymouth, claiming to be the groundsman for the flats and saying that waterworks were being carried out.

He said works were required to stop her garden being flooded and she would have to pay £600 to cover the costs.

She went to her bank to withdraw the money and when she returned she received a call from a man claiming to be from the contractor carrying out the work, who aid she needed to pay an extra £1,100.

She handed over the money to two men wearing lanyards and ID badges at the address.

Det Insp Neil Wright said: “These incidents all involved men targeting vulnerable women in their homes by obtaining details and putting pressure on them to pay for drainage or water works they claimed were required.I’d urge anyone with information about these incidents, or who has been approached in similar circumstances, to contact police.”Visit dorset.police.uk/ help-advice-crime-prevention/home-property-belongings/protect-your-home/doorstep-crime/