A QUICK-THINKING 82-year-old woman managed to stop a would-be distraction burglar getting into her home by following Daily Echo-backed advice.

After reading the tips to stay safe in our On Your Guard campaign, the elderly woman refused to let a bogus caller into her house when he was unable to produce valid identification.

Police at Alresford, near Winchester, have praised the pensioner for her resourcefulness.

A man knocked at the door of the woman's Alresford home telling her he was from the council and had to inspect her drains as a neighbour was installing a new washing machine.

However the alert pensioner refused to let him in and asked for ID, which he was unable to produce. While they were talking, the front door blew shut, locking the woman out of her house.

Despite the would-be thief offering to let himself into her house by the patio door and let her back in, she refused and quickly went round to the patio herself.

Although the man followed her, she stopped him from going into the flat and he disappeared immediately.

Insp Steve Sargent, of Alresford police, said: "The burglar's favourite tactic is to trick their way into houses by pretending to be officials or workmen. This is now much more common than breaking in through windows or forcing doors.

"This lady courageously followed the correct advice. Genuine callers don't mind having their IDs checked carefully, and distraction burglars do not want to attract any attention to themselves so will leave without a fuss if they are challenged with confidence."

The courage of this elderly woman means Alresford has kept its low crime rates, with no house burglaries in nearly five months.

Insp Sargent added: "As a result of this lady's determination, Alresford's clean burglary record remains intact and she has saved herself the trauma of becoming a victim of this despicable crime which is so often practised against the elderly."

The Daily Echo's On Your Guard campaign was launched earlier in the year to try to reduce the number of elderly people who become victims of crime in their own homes.