BOGUS water officials stole hundreds of pounds from an elderly woman and her son.
Merseyside Police today warned householders to be vigilant when answering the door to strangers after the burglary in Waterloo.
The conman told the 86- year-old woman and her 47- year-old son to go into the kitchen and switch on the taps and check the gas.
He left 10 minutes later and shortly afterwards they discovered their cash had been stolen apparently by a second person who searched the rooms of their flat.
The "official" is described as being around 40, white with a tanned complexion, 5 ft 8in tall, of stocky build and he spoke with a European accent.
He was wearing a thick grey jumper and blue jeans.
Detective Constable David Hale of Copy Lane CID, said; "This was a despicable, opportunistic burglary against two vulnerable people." who have had a significant amount of money stolen from them.
"I would urge anyone who knows anything about it to contact the police and I would remind people of the simple steps they should take before answering the door to strangers, such as always using a door chain and insisting they show their ID before letting them in.
Genuine callers will not mind waiting at the door while you check with their employers that the visit is genuine before letting them in."
