Vulnerable pensioners are being warned to treat every doorstep caller as a suspect following the latest bogus caller strike on a 97-year-old woman.

Age Concern Gravesham chief executive Annette Davies has hit out at deception burglars, calling them "scum" who make her "skin crawl".

Her comments come after two pensioners had £120 stolen by two men posing as workmen.

Mrs Davies says vulnerable people should treat every stranger who comes to their door as a suspect.

Her advice for them is not to be afraid to check a caller's identification and to use security chains at all times.

In the latest bogus caller incident, Katherine, 97, and her son John, 72, from Northfleet, fell victim to distraction techniques used by two men.

The men claimed to be fitting a washing machine next door which had flooded the kitchen.

They asked to check pressure valves in the couple's kitchen.

One of the men then employed several tactics to distract the pair.

He said he needed to run all the taps in the house and emptied items in the kitchen cupboard across the floor.

The man then went upstairs and took £120 from a drawer.

John said: "I was down at the bottom of the stairs watching all the time. I was surprised how brazen they were. I smelled a rat."

Police figures show 80 people across north Kent fell victim to bogus callers last year, including 31 Gravesend residents.

Mrs Davies said: "These people are the scum of the earth. It makes my skin crawl.

"Pensioners are from a trusting generation when doors were open all the time. You cannot live like that anymore."

NOMINATE NEIGHBOUR TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU

The Nominated Neighbour Scheme has been launched in a bid to reduce distraction burglary.

A yellow card is displayed in the vulnerable person's home.

Callers are asked not to knock but to visit a nominated neighbour displayed on the card.

The neighbour will check their identity and wait while the callers are in the house.

The scheme is run in conjunction with Kent police and the Kent County Neighbourhood Watch Association.

Police urge elderly or vulnerable people to always check the caller's identity.

For a Nominated Neighbour pack, call your local police station or Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator.