THIEVES claiming to be police officers stole around £200 from a family in Burnley in a so-called ‘distraction burglary’.

An elderly man, his daughter and grandson were targeted by a group of four men at around 8.10pm at a home in Carlton Road.

They pretended to have a search warrant for the property before stealing the cash and the woman’s Samsung mobile phone.

She had tried to call her husband after becoming suspicious of the group’s behaviour.

Police are investigating the incident on Thursday and are appealing to anyone with information about the group to come forward.

DI Jes Holland from Burnley CID said: “The police are no different than any other organisation when it comes to attending your house. They will either be in full uniform or be carrying identification.

“A genuine police officer won’t mind showing you their ID and equally won’t mind waiting whilst you call the local police station to verify their details.

“These men were clearly successful in distracting the residents at the address so they could steal their belongings. We urge people to be vigilant and make sure they ask for ID.”

The men are described as white, aged between 25 and 35 and were wearing smart-casual dark clothes.

One of the men was wearing a light pink t-shirt and a second man was described as being very tall with a bald or shaved head.