CONMEN called at five Wyre Forest homes in under four hours claiming to have found wayward sheep, to be employees of the water board and looking for a friend in a residents garden.

A woman found a man in her bedroom while a neighbour reported she had cash and a mobile phone taken at around the same time.

The men struck between 4.30pm and about 8pm on Friday and police are warning homeowners, especially elderly residents, to take extra care when dealing with callers.

A Chaddesley Corbett woman refused to go with two men who said they had trapped three loose sheep in her drive at about 4.30pm.

They left in a bright red hatchback car but two men of a similar description were seen in Belbroughton just after 6pm where they entered a resident's garden.

The men became abusive and said they were looking for a man who lived in the street when challenged but left empty handed.

About 90 minutes later they were seen running from a house in Bewdley Road, Kidderminster, after a man was found in a bedroom.

They had called claiming to be from the water board.

Another woman living nearby had cash and her mobile phone taken while two men called at a house in Tennyson Way, Kidderminster, again purporting to be from the gas or water board.

The occupant became suspicious and the men left when she called for help.

Kidderminster Police spokeswoman Julie Wedgbury said: "These incidents could be linked and residents should take care if somebody calls who they are not expecting. Identification should always be asked for."

The resident in Chaddesley Corbett said both men were white, in their mid-30s, 5ft 4ins and of stocky build.

The first man was wearing a black woolly hat, a black fleece top and tracksuit bottoms. The second man had short crew cut hair, wore navy blue clothes and two gold chains around his neck.

The Bewdley Road resident said the men were white, one aged 30-35 and the other slightly older. The first man wore a bright orange jacket and a dark woolly hat and the second man had grey hair and wore a dark jacket.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents should contact Kidderminster Police on 08457 444888 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.