Police have put out a warning after an elderly woman from the Greenhithe area was scammed out of £53,000 by a con artist pretending to be a police officer.

The woman, in her 80s, was asked to buy a pair of Rolex watches from the Bluewater shopping centre, in Dartford, by the con artist who told her she would be assisting with a police operation.

But soon after she was told to hand the watches to a waiting courier.

Police have now issued a warning saying that they would never ask anyone to purchase goods on their behalf.

The watches had a combined worth of more than £53,000

Detective Inspector Annie Clayton of the Met's Serious and Economic Crime Unit said: "Offenders who engage in courier fraud prey on the most vulnerable members of society.

"We are currently conducting enquiries into this incident and others but would like to remind people how to spot a fraudulent phone call.

"Police officers will never request your bank details or ask you to withdraw money for any reason. We will also never ask you to transfer money, purchase goods on our behalf or send someone to your home to collect your cash, PIN, payment card or cheque book.

"If you are given any of these instructions, it is a fraudulent approach. Hang up, wait five minutes to clear the line or use a different phone and then call your bank or card issuer on their advertised numbers to report the fraud."

Police are especially warning the elderly to be on their guard for scammers for scammers, who will also claims to be from trading standards or a victim's bank.