POLICE are hunting a professional fraudster who has targeted banks and netted £100,000 in the last six years.

Money has already been stolen from two high street banks in Accrington and police believe others in Blackburn, Burnley and across East Lancashire have been targeted.

Officers have released a photograph of the man they are hunting and revealed that in the last two months alone he has tried to swindle £50,000 out of bank accounts.

The conman presents himself as a legitimate customer before duping staff into allowing him to make a counter withdrawal.

DC Sam Mackenzie, officer in charge of the investigation, said there was a "high potential" that banks in Blackburn and Burnley had also been targeted.

He said: "He makes no attempt to disguise himself and does not threaten the staff.

"He is clearly very calm and quite brazen when committing these offences.

"But we are still trying to establish how the scam is operating and who has already been hit."

The conman may have carried out up to 200 thefts over the last six years and stolen in the region of £100,000.

He has been active across four counties including Lancashire, Staffordshire, Greater Manchester and Cumbria.

Police have not revealed full details of how the man commits the crimes, but said he uses false documents to prove identity. And they are still working to establish if he is working alone. His biggest one-off withdrawals have been for £5,000.

Customers are advised to check their bank statements against any anomalies and are urged to let the police know about anything out of the ordinary.

The banks that have been targeted were already operating stringent security procedures and will continue to do so, a spokesperson said.

The investigation began after DC Mackenzie spotted anomalies in his area. "Now we know he has been active on the Fylde coast and swept right across Lancashire," he said. "We are studying CCTV footage and similar crime reports. The photographs show the man we are anxious to trace on a number of different occasions."

The man is described as white, aged between 40 and 50, of medium build, between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in tall, with a pointed nose, but no discernable accent.

On several occasions he has worn a green waist-length coat like a bomber jacket with thick white and red bands on the sleeves.

At other times, he has worn a blue shirt or a three-quarter-length dark coat. He is said to be of generally smart appearance.

Anyone with more information should contact 01253 604179 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.