A WARNING has been issued to the public by police in Sittingbourne following reports that groups of people are selling fake gold jewellery on the town's streets and in pubs.

The ‘gold’ jewellery, thought to be really made of brass, is described by the vendors as 18 or 24 carat, and some pieces even carry a hallmark, which is fake.

The vendors are of Mediterranean appearance and have large satchel–type bags containing the jewellery.

In some cases they have said that they need to sell the gold as their car has broken down or they cannot feed their children, or similar hard luck stories. They also have been reported as using very aggressive selling techniques.

PC Jason Hedges, town beat officer for Sittingbourne, said: “If a deal sounds to good to be true, it usually is.

"Although technically these people are deceiving the public about the true nature of the jewellery, 18 and 24 carat gold is not usually sold on the streets for knock down prices.

"I urge people to consider what they are being asked to purchase, and if they have doubts about the authenticity of the products, walk away.”

Anyone with information regarding the fake gold jewellery vendors is asked to contact PC Hedges on 07800 675368.