THIS is the face of a man being hunted by detectives investigating despicable burglaries targeted at the elderly.

The e-fit was issued by Hereford-shire Police this week following two incidents in Ledbury.

Detectives are also to talk to their counterparts in Gloucestershire, following a similar incident in Dymock.

In all cases, the man and his accomplice preyed on the trust of householders but fortunately left empty-handed every time.

The most recent incident was on Friday, June 17, when a man knocked the door of a house at Bayfield Gardens. Dymock, between 6.55pm and 7.05pm.

He asked the resident, an elderly lady, if he could install a drain in her garden.

Gloucestershire Police spokesman Zo Young said: "He also asked if she had any sons or daughters around."

The pensioner led the man to the garden and returned to the house to lock the front door, only to find another man inside her home.

She asked them both to leave and called the police.

Police have a good description of the first caller. He is white, around 5ft 2ins tall and of medium build. He had short black hair, was clean-shaven and had a deep voice.

Ledbury Police's investigation centres on two incidents in Mabel's Furlong on Tuesday, May 24, when bogus callers posed as water board officials in a bid to gain access.

In one case, two men tricked their way into a woman's kitchen before she became suspicious and they left.

Police spokesman Georgina Bates said: "Minutes later, it is believed that the older of the two men tried the same routine at another address in Mabel's Furlong. The resident told him, quite rightly, that she had not received any correspondence about this and refused him access."

The man is white, with a tan, aged between 20 and 40, 5ft 2ins to 5ft 4ins tall, with short, neat brown hair and of medium to stocky build. He wore a light, button-up shirt with a badge on the right side of the chest, bearing the word 'security'.

His accomplice was aged between 17 and 18, 5ft 8ins to 5ft 10ins tall, of a slim build with dark, thick hair.

DC Laurence James, of Hereford-shire Police said: "There is a very good possibility that the Dymock and Ledbury incidents are linked and I would not rule out such a link.

"Sometimes there are two or three distraction burglaries in the same day, in different force areas. But we have a very poor detection rate with distraction burglaries and the reason is that these people will travel."

Because of this, DC James said the offenders in both cases might not be local.