BOGUS callers posing as water board officials are targeting pensioners for their Christmas savings, police believe.

Officers suspect the same team of crooks was behind four attempts to con elderly people in the Marlborough area last Wednesday.

The tricksters struck twice in Aldbourne, once in Alton Barnes and once in Netheravon.

Fortunately, in three cases the elderly occupants became suspicious and the thieves fled empty-handed.

But the con gang struck lucky at the house of an 87-year-old woman in Aldbourne, taking her purse containing £200 she had withdrawn for Christmas.

Sgt Steve McGrath, who is investigating the two Aldbourne offences, said: "She had only taken the cash out earlier in the week for Christmas."

The gang struck first at the home of a 78-year-old man living in the Marlborough Road area of Aldbourne.

One knocked at his door at about 10.45am on Wednesday claiming to be a water board official and needing to check tap pressure in the kitchen.

While the pensioner was in the kitchen with the caller, he heard footsteps on his stairs. When the pair realised they had been rumbled they fled.

Forty five minutes later two men of the same description went to the home of the 87-year-old Aldbourne woman, who also lived in the Marlborough Road area.

Again, the caller told her he was from the water board and wanted to check the pressure at her kitchen taps. She accompanied him to the kitchen but then became aware of the second man in her home.

She asked them to leave but by that time one of the crooks had grabbed her purse and her Christmas savings.

Both of the thieves were in their 20s and were wearing navy blue clothing.

One was about 5ft 9ins with dark hair and other was about 5ft 4ins with light brown hair swept back. The shorter man was said to be very thin.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt McGrath at Marlborough police station on (01672) 512311.

At Alton Barnes, a bogus water board official called at the home of a 74-year-old woman at about 1pm, saying he needed to check her tap pressure.

He led the woman to her bathroom where she realised she had been duped, but by that time the man, aged 17 to 20, slim with blonde hair and wearing a blue/black sweatshirt and jeans, had left. Police said the women could not find anything missing from her home.

At the same time a man walked into the home of en elderly woman in Netheravon and claimed he was from the water board. She was immediately suspicious and told him to leave, which he did, empty-handed.

Pewsey police would like to hear from anyone who had callers alleging to be from the water board or anyone acting suspiciously in Alton Barnes or Netheravon at the time of the incidents to ring them on (01672) 562222.