SUFFOLK police and Anglian Water bosses have joined forces to warn elderly residents to be on their guard against bogus callers following the theft of a workman's uniform and identification card.

SUFFOLK police and Anglian Water bosses have joined forces to warn elderly residents to be on their guard against bogus callers following the theft of a workman's uniform and identification card.

Thieves broke into the Anglian Water works in Wamil Road, Mildenhall, and smashed a window of a tanker lorry before stealing a high visibility jacket and photographic ID card.

The theft has left police fearing the items will be used in a potential distraction burglary – following a spate of similar crimes throughout the county in recent times.

Sara Rowland , spokeswoman for Anglian Water, said they were taking the theft seriously and had issued warnings to all their staff to remain vigilant.

The spokeswoman said: "The incident is unfortunate and we are now taking steps to ensure we do not fall foul of this activity again.

"Bogus callers are something we always have to face but we have a robust system in place to eliminate the threat.

"We want customers to know how easy it is to deal with these people on their doorstep and that there is no need to be scared. A good door chain can be very effective and anyone is unsure they should just say no to them coming in."

The spokeswoman said the company employed a security system whereby each worker is given a special identification number – not disclosed on the card.

This allows customers to call Anglian Water on freephone 0800 145 145 when someone is at their door to safely check whether they work for the company.

A Suffolk police spokesman outlined what residents should do if they are confronted by a potential bogus caller.

He said: "Police would like to remind people to be extra vigilant in relation to this crime and distraction burglaries.

"Please check the identification of any caller at your door and ensure that it has not been tampered with and the photograph matches that of the caller at your door.

"Take the card from them, do not let them in the house and use the telephone number on the card to check the identification of the caller. Remember, a genuine caller will be more than happy to wait outside while you do this."

The theft took place sometime between 5pm on Friday and 10am on Monday when thieves cut through a wire mesh fence of the water works.

Anyone who has any information should contact Pc Darren Lamboll on 01284 774100 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.