POLICE in East Yorkshire are warning residents to be on their guard after two bogus callers struck twice in the last week.

The first incident happened on Dewsbury Close, Beverley, last Wednesday morning, when an 87-year-old woman’s handbag and purse are believed to have been stolen after she received a visit from a woman claiming to be selling items for a charity supporting deaf people.

The caller was white, about 28, 5ft 8ins tall with a stocky build, and had shoulder-length mousy brown hair. She was wearing a large multi-coloured jacket and carrying a large bag containing tea towels and other household items.

Between 3.15pm and 3.35pm last Thursday, a male caller entered the home of an 88-year-old man in Whitehead Close, Beverley, and claimed he was delivering raffle winnings, but needed change for a £20 note.

The victim told the intruder where he kept his money and the man left, but the homeowner then discovered his wallet and cash had been taken. The caller is white, in his 30s and stocky with a bald head. He was wearing a multi-coloured lumberjack shirt and black trousers.