PENSIONERS are being warned to be on their guard after an elderly man was tricked out of £5,500 by conmen who offered to repair his drive. The man, who is in his late 70s, answered the door at his home at Borough Green to two men who said his drive needed urgent attention.

They offered to do the work for him and he agreed without getting an estimate of the cost. After beginning work, the men suggested that they could do a much better job if they used more expensive materials. They demanded more money in advance to pay for the work.

The men kept returning to the pensioner's home in the last two weeks of September to collect more and more money. To date he has paid out £5,500 and the only work undertaken has been the removal of the driveway surface.

Malling Citizens Advice Bureau in High Street, West Malling, has issued a warning to local residents, especially pensioners, whom it is feared the conmen may be targeting.

Bureau manager Margaret Hall said: "We are anxious to highlight this scam in the hope that other people will be aware of how easy it is to fall prey to these confidence tricksters. We would urge the public to be on their guard, and to be certain that they are dealing with bona fide traders before parting with their money."