A COUNTY firm has produced a revolutionary door device to help vulnerable elderly people fight back against intruders.

The Door Defender - made by G4 Security at Hanley Swan, near Upton-upon-Severn - literally bounces back in the face of unwanted visitors.

It has been acclaimed by insurance and security firms, and it is hoped it will particularly help the fight against distraction burglars - offenders who gain entry to someone's home by pretending to be a tradesman or an official from a utility company.

Since the start of 2003, the Evening News has reported 17 distraction burglaries in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, all of them targeting elderly people.

Last Monday, an elderly lady in Malvern had cash and jewellery stolen by men claiming to be from the council.

The Door Defender works on a spring mechanism. When the door is pushed inwards towards the occupant, the compression spring pushes the door back towards the offender.

"The force goes into the screws, so the harder you hit it, the stronger it gets," said Steve Gill, G4 Security's managing director.

"It is the only product on the market that protects the occupant once the door is open. If someone tries to kick the door in, it swings back in their face."

Mr Gill said the product was especially useful for elderly people, with housing associations and councils supplying sheltered accommodation keen to snap it up.

Tony Breeze, area manager for Victim Support, Worcester, said distraction burglaries were "extremely unpleasant".

"Many victims, as well as experiencing the normal trauma and distress associated with crime, feel embarrassed as they feel they've allowed somebody to cheat their way into their home."

PC Mike Stephenson, crime risk manager for Worcester Police, warned people not to let anyone in their home unless they were sure they were who they said they were.

Magda Praill, chief executive of Age Concern, Worcester, said older people were statistically less likely than other sectors of the community to be victims of crime, but they were particularly vulnerable to distraction burglaries.

"We remind people not to open the door to people they don't know," she said.

"Always put the chain on before opening the door and check their identity, by phone if necessary. If they're genuine, they won't mind."