DOORSTEP con men have struck again across Hampshire, bringing the number of raids on elderly people's homes in the county to more than 40 since the start of the year.

Tricksters posing as water company officials, social services representatives and charity collectors have targeted pensioners in Ringwood and Fareham in the past week.

They join a string of victims in Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester, Botley and Gosport.

In the Ringwood incident a man entered the home of two elderly people - a 76-year-old man and a 92-year-old woman - pretending to be from a water company.

Once inside the property in Gorley Road the offender let in an accomplice. While one distracted the elderly occupants, the other stole about £300 and a cash card.

One of the men is described as being aged 25 or 26, about 5ft 10in and stocky with short light-coloured hair and a northern accent.

In another raid in Hampton Grove, Fareham, a woman called at the home of a

pensioner who had recently had a hip replacement operation claiming she had been sent by social services.

Following a phone call from the pensioner's daughter the bogus caller left. Social services later revealed no one had been sent to the address.

Also in Fareham, a woman left empty-handed after calling at a house in Mill Road pretending to be collecting for charity.

She is described as black and slim with plaited hair. She wore a dark jacket and carried a grey bag.

The latest incidents come as the Daily Echo urges pensioners to be aware of how to stay safe.

The On Your Guard campaign, launched last month and backed by Hampshire police and Age Concern, aims to cut the number of crimes against elderly people by highlighting how they can protect themselves.

Det Sgt Phil Bateman, of the Southampton burglary investigation unit, urged elderly residents and their neighbours and relatives to be extra vigilant following the recent spate if incidents.

He said: "Distraction burglary is the lowest of the low. Elderly residents, their neighbours and their next of kin need to be vigilant."

He added that many elderly residents keep money in the home when it is no longer safe to do so.

"These days anybody with large amounts of money who is burgled in this sort of way is going to lose a lot of it," he said.

"It is down to families to look after their elderly relatives and ensure that they put money away in a bank or building society."

Anyone with any information about any of these burglaries is asked to contact the police on 0845 045 4545.

Have you or an elderly friend or relative been the victim of crime? Contact Sarah Lefebve at the Daily Echo on 023 8042 4996 or e-mail her using the link above.