Rogue traders target victim, 94, in frauds

Police said the pensioner was duped into parting with "staggering" sums of money by a succession of fraudsters from September last year.

An appeal has now been issued to help trace those responsible but the victim, from Fetcham, Surrey, she has been unable to give descriptions of the suspects.

She was first targeted in September last year when a man calling himself "Mr Matthews" claimed her roof needed repairing and offered to fix it for 48,000.

Surrey Police said it was not known what, if any, work was carried out or the quality of any repairs.

Two months later, a further 23,000 was paid to "Mr Matthews" and then later that month a cheque for 10,000 was written to a "Mr Sparrow" who claimed he worked for an insurance firm overseeing the repairs.

In January this year, "Mr Sparrow" returned to the victim's house claiming building regulations had changed and he required an additional 48,000, which was provided by cheque.

The total amount defrauded from the victim was 176,135, police said.

Det Insp David Cooper said: "This is a staggering amount of money to have been conned from an elderly woman."