Fraud squad officers in East Yorkshire have issued a warning for people not to join a betting syndicate which hints at involvement in race fixing.

The Humberside Police fraud section issued the warning after a complaint from someone in the region who received a letter promising winning bets on horse races in return for large amounts of cash.

A spokesman said: "It invites the recipient to join a betting syndicate and suggests that the group is involved in race fixing to guarantee the winning horse and huge cash payouts.

"This alone is asking people to participate in a conspiracy to defraud - a serious criminal offence.

"Our advice is simply to ignore these letters and send them straight on to Humberside Police Fraud Section, Police Headquarters, Queens Gardens, Hull, HU1 3DJ."

North Yorkshire Police are aware of the syndicate but no cases have been reported in the area yet.

Updated: 11:17 Thursday, June 14, 2001