POLICE are warning Newport residents to be vigilant following an attempted distraction burglary today.

A man, claiming to be from Welsh Water, attempted to gain access to a home in Alway.

When the man was asked for ID by the homeowner, he ran off without entering the property.

Gwent Police are reminding people to always ask for ID if anyone is calling at your home.

They gave the following advice: "If in doubt keep them out. Don't let them pressure you into opening the door.

"Call a neighbour or a family member who can help verify a cold caller.

"Call us to report suspicious incidents on 101.

"To report a distraction burglar or rogue trade who is still in the area, call 999."

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Police also warned about rogue traders.

They said: "Rogue Traders often appear to be highly professional.

"They can have printed leaflets and vehicles branded with their company name, making you think they are legitimate. Don’t be fooled - they are criminals.

"They often use highly pressurised selling techniques to convince victims to use their services and they charge exorbitant prices for work of a poor standard or work that is never carried out.

"We often hear stories about people being convinced that they need work done, for example building work on their home, that doesn’t even need to be done.

"In the worse cases, we’ve seen rogue traders stealing cash and belongings from the homes of their victims."

Report it to Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre.

You can do this on-line by going to actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by calling 0300 123 2040.