Three men have been sentenced for courier fraud after tricking elderly victims into giving them cash.

They were found guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court on Friday (December 22).

Kawsar Ahmed, 19, of Sydenham Hill, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for possessing or supplying articles for use in fraud.

Charlie Heath, aged 23 and of Whidborne Street WC1, and Shaheedul Abedin, aged 20 and of Pollard Street E2, were sentenced to three years in jail and 16 months in jail respectively.

The men were arrested in June 2016 after a woman, 78, was tricked into handing over £250 along with her bank cards and passport.

On June 1, officers pulled behind a white Audi as they were en-route to a call, before two men, including the driver, ran from the car.

A brown envelope containing the passport and bank cards was found by police on the route the men had ran.

It also contained paper with 45 names, addresses and numbers belonging to elderly residents in Camden.

When the items were returned to the 78-year-old woman, she informed officers that she had received a call from a man claiming to be a policeman who said he was investigating fraudulent activity on her bank account.

A man turned up to her house to then collect her bank cards and the cash.

Kawsar Ahmed's fingerprints were later found on the recovered items before he was arrested on November 6, 2016.

Detective Constable Neil Pilgrim, said: "Courier fraud is a despicable act that usually takes advantage against the elderly or otherwise vulnerable victims. These three criminals will have the festive period to reflect on their actions.

"The Met’s advice about courier fraud is that the police and your bank will never ask for your PIN number or your bank cards. If you are called and asked for these items - hang up straight away. The police will never call you at home and ask you for money, whatever the reason."