A BOGUS police officer is tricking elderly women at their homes and escaping with large sums of cash, it is feared.

The con man doorstepped four homes of elderly residents in Prescot on Monday night, claiming to be a plain clothes officer.

At two of the addresses he claimed an officer had found someone nearby who had a lot of cash on him.

The fake officer told the residents he wanted to check that they were okay and that no money had gone missing.

One of the residents denied him access, but an 87-year-old woman let him in. The caller asked her to check her purse and make sure the doors and windows were secure.

Afterwards she discovered a large amount of cash had been taken from her purse.

It is suspected he called at two other addresses claiming to be a police officer but the residents refused to let him in.

Detectives believe the fraudster may have stole cash from the house of a 79-year-old woman in St Helens last month.

He used a similar ruse, claiming to he wanted to check she had not been a robbery victim after he had detained a man with cash.

The bogus officer went on to steal the victim's handbag containing a large sum of cash.

The man who struck in Prescot is aged in his forties of fifties, with short hair. He was wearing a three-quarter/anorak type coat. The offender in the incident in St Helens had a similar description.

Merseyside Police is issuing the following crime prevention advice: • Remember to close and lock the back door before answering the front door • Always ask to see the identification of the person calling • If you are in any doubt about the identification shown, phone the company they claim to represent and check - don’t use the phone number they give you, look in the phone book for it • Ask the person to wait outside while you check and never leave your front door open while you do so • If the caller claims to be from an electricity, gas or water company, ask them to quote your customer reference number. A genuine caller from these utility companies will have that information • If the caller claims to be from the police he/she should have a warrant card and this can be checked by calling Merseyside Police on 101 • If the caller leaves and you are still unsure about their credibility, write down the details of the person and the registration number of any vehicle and contact us on 101 • For extra security and peace of mind, fit a viewer or spy hole and a strong chain to your door Anyone with information about bogus officials, whether it is to report a crime or suspicious behaviour, can call Merseyside Police on the non-emergency 101 number. If you have any information which could help the police in relation to the incidents in St Helens or Prescot call 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.