DETECTIVES are searching for two men posing as council workers who conned an 80-year-old pensioner out of £1,000.

The bogus callers knocked on the woman’s door and said they had come from the council to fix her roof.

One of the conmen said he could confirm he was from the council by contacting a third person on his mobile.

The man at the other end told the victim he worked for the council and that he was responsible for sending the two men to her home in The Fairway, Rochester.

The woman was told work needed to be carried out to the ridge tiles and the chimney and watched as the men put a ladder up the front of her house and a bucket on the path.

One man said before they could begin the work they would need money for materials and the pensioner handed over £1,000. Shortly after that she realised the men, along with the ladder and bucket, had disappeared.

The offenders were driving a small blue van and were described as being betwen 22 to 28 years old and around 5ft 10ins tall.

One was of medium build, with untidy collar length hair. He was wearing a dark blue mackintosh top with a hood. He was also wearing dark blue tracksuit bottoms.

The second man was described as being medium build with short dark brown hair. He was wearing a navy blue top with a drawstring around the waist, navy blue tracksuit bottoms and a dark blue baseball cap.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Medway Police on 01634 884252 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.