Detectives are appealing for witnesses after a distraction burglary in Farnborough on Tuesday, June 1.

At around Midday a man claiming to be from Rushmoor Borough Council attended an address in Elmsleigh Road.

He knocked on the door of the address and spoke to an elderly woman and told her that he needed to check her house over in order to re-band the property for council tax.

The woman let the man in and he then looked through every room. He then asked the woman for £10 and she refused and he left.

Nothing is believed to have been stolen.

The man is described as:

• White

• Aged in his 50s

• 5ft 10ins tall

• Stocky, proportionate build

• Clean shaven

• Short, dark brown hair

• Wearing a dark blue

• Holding a green clip board with papers attached

Detective Constable Matt Dennis, of the Aldershot Priority Crime Unit, said: “This was an unusual incident and the man appears to have targeted a vulnerable member of the community.

“Residents are reminded to always check identification before allowing cold callers into their home and to call police if they believe they have been visited by someone suspicious.

“The council have assured us that their workers have no cause to visit homes for this purpose and their employees will always carry identification and never ask for cash in hand.

“If you witnessed this incident or have been the victim of a similar visit please contact us as soon as possible.”

Ian Harrison, Head of Customer Services at Rushmoor Borough Council, said: “We do occasionally visit residents at home, but we would normally make an appointment beforehand and our staff would always carry identification.

“We’d also be very happy to wait outside while the resident calls us to check the visitor is genuine, if there is any doubt they can ring us on 01252 398399.”

Hampshire Constabulary offers the following Safer Homes advice:

• Stop – are you expecting anyone to call on you?  Do you know the person at the door?  Don’t be misled by what appear to be genuine reasons for calling on you.

• Check – A genuine caller will carry identification and will be happy to wait outside while you check it.  Remember to source your own number for the company they are claiming to be from, don’t accept a number from the caller.

• Chain – fit a door chain or spy hole so that you can speak to callers or check who they are without opening the door fully.