West Yorkshire Police says 'be aware of bogus gas and water board callers' as elderly Featherstone woman's home is 'ransacked'

Officers have urged residents to be wary over doorstep callers and check their identification after the pensioner let a scammer into her property on Wakefield Road after he told her he was from the ‘gas board’.

The victim told the suspect she did not have gas installed but he quickly changed his story and said he was also there to check the water pressure too during the incident on Monday April 24.

According to police, whilst the elderly woman was distracted in the kitchen, the male said he needed to check the water pressure in an upstairs bathroom where he ransacked the bedroom and made his escape stating that he had paperwork to fill out.

The suspect is described as being a white male in his mid 30s, thin to medium build, with dark brown hair and is approximately 5ft 7ins.

He was wearing a black or blue baseball cap, wearing a white short sleeve shirt, dark trousers and a blue mask over his mouth and nose, with no ID or lanyard.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “Please remember to always check the ID of anyone at the door and don't be afraid to make checks via a phone call with the company or organisation that the doorstep caller is claiming to be from.

"It is worth keeping a list of useful numbers by your phone so that you can make the calls if you ever need to.

"Never ring a phone number provided by that of the doorstep caller, always obtain the correct number for yourself to make sure you are definitely contacting who you believe to be.”