A GANG posing as water officials are again targeting elderly residents in Redbridge.

Police successfully clamped down on a spree of incidents late last year when vulnerable people were being robbed in their homes.

The victims were letting in men who convinced them they were officials who needed to check their water supply.

Now police say it is happening again and believe the same men could be involved.

They are warning people to be on their guard.

Three elderly people were targeted on January 6. At midday, an 89-year-old woman, in Mossford Court, Barkingside, opened the door of her flat to two men, who claimed to be from the water company and were "checking a leak from an upstairs flat."

One man waited outside while the other went inside with the woman and asked her to turn her water off.

The woman became suspicious and refused. The men then suddenly ran off.

Police say one man was white, aged 26, 6ft tall with dark brown hair. The other man was white, aged about 20, 5ft 5ins tall.

Later at around 12.15pm, a man knocked on the door of an 86-year-old woman and asked if he could check her water.

Again, the pensioner became suspicious when he asked her for her pension book, and the man fled.

He was described as white, aged 25, 5ft 7ins tall, with dark brown hair and wearing a dark-coloured jumper with jeans.

And at 1.30pm that day, a man asked a 79-year-old woman if he could check her water but again left empty-handed when the woman asked for identification details. The man was described as white, aged 30, 6ft tall, and he was wearing a dark-coloured suit.

A Redbridge police spokeswoman said: "We ask not only elderly people themselves to be aware of these men, but also warn relatives to keep an eye out and report anything suspicious."

Anyone with information should ring Ilford police on 8345 2667.