ELDERLY people in Swindon are being warned about an increase in crimes involving thieves posing as workmen.

Geoff Snowball, of Swindon's trading standards department has warned that now is the time that bogus workmen, door-to-door salespeople and rogue traders will be targeting elderly and vulnerable people across the town in an attempt to make a fast buck.

And he had one piece of simple advice for those troubled by such people shut the door hard in their face.

"Bogus calling is something that is seasonal," he said.

"It tends to happen now and at the end of the year. These people are here today and gone today, they are not established in the area and prey on vulnerable people."

Mr Snowball said teams of shady traders purposely travel down from the Midlands and beyond to make rich pickings from Swindon's elderly.

He said: "They will determine which houses to call by looking at the outside of properties.

"They work the streets and make their assessments.

"This sort of crime has been under-recorded in the past.

"It's not unknown for callers to carry out a job and then sell their information in the pub to someone who will then go and do a distraction burglary. It's an escalating problem in Swindon and one we are working with the police to stamp out.

"It's on the increase because it is such an easy way for these people to make money."

This frank admission comes at the time when the county council's trading standards office and the police have launched Operation Litotes an initiative aimed at getting the message across to parish councils.

Police and trading standards officers are visiting parish councils across the county dispensing advice on how to deal with doorstep callers.

The county council's chief trading standards officer, Steve Clover, said: "We are becoming increasingly concerned over the number of calls we receive about rogue traders or door-to-door salespeople.

"We want to stop them before they become a problem.

"We strongly advise people to use reputable traders for jobs in and around the house and not those who go from door to door."

Mr Snowball said he had even heard of burglar alarms being sold to those living in sheltered accommodation.

"These people have a way with words, he said.

"They use high pressure sales techniques and then rip people off with shoddy work.

"The sky's the limit in terms of the money they charge people. If someone knocks on the front door be firm, even if they are in full flow.

"The best advice is to simply shut the door in their face."