PENSIONERS are being warned to be on their guard for bogus callers after a 96-year-old woman was conned into parting with valuable belongings.

The family of the elderly victim, who lives alone in Horsmonden, says she was tricked into parting with gifts given to her by relatives by a man and woman who called at her house, claiming to be friends of the family.

The man offered her money for some items before the woman came into the house and distracted her. After they had left, the pensioner discovered some small but valuable items from her china cabinet in a back room were missing.

The pair had, however, left behind £50, saying she had agreed to sell the items. As a result, police cannot investigate it as a crime.

But the incident has prompted Weald police to warn pensioners to be extra vigilant against bogus and unknown callers and to check for identification. They have also warned that people with valuable furniture and belongings should have them valued, so that they know whether any offer is genuine.

Ann Parsons, the victim's daughter-in-law, said: "A man knocked on her window and greeted her by name, so she let him into her house, thinking that he was a friend of the family. He offered her money - £50 - which she refused, although the money appears to have been left in the house, together with a business card."

She said the family had challenged the man by telephone after the event and he had claimed the woman had sold the items willingly. He told them they had since been sold on, so could not be returned.

She added: "She would never have parted with gifts from the family and, besides which, did not need the money. Of course, we reported this to the police but were told that a crime had not been committed, although they did suggest a civil action.

"We are very angry and feel that it is a crime that elderly people may forced out of their homes because of threats from conmen such as these. Although we cannot do any thing about this, we feel that other elderly people should be warned."

A Weald Police spokeswoman said: "People have a perfect right not to allow somebody access to their home. Bogus callers and distraction burglaries have not just been a problem in the Weald, but across the whole of Kent."