Two men were arrested in a North Yorkshire village after concerns were raised about the amount of money a woman in her 80s was withdrawing from her bank to pay doorstep callers for cleaning her drive.

The men, who had called at her home in Hutton Rudby, where they quoted a price for cleaning her drive. They then back and told her she owed them more. 

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "The original quote was considered high for the work done and the second request for payment raised concerns when she went to withdraw the money from her local post office.

"Quick thinking shop staff reported their concerns to us and we were able to intercept the suspects as they returned to the area to collect the rest of the money."

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A 41-year-old man and 17-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation.

The arrests were made on Saturday, February 4.

Both have been released on bail to allow for further enquiries to be carried out.

The spokesperson added: "Our advice to anyone who receives cold callers at their door is to politely refuse any work and not to part with any money.

If you are unsure about who is at your door, please don’t answer it.

"If you need any work doing, always consult a trusted friend or family member or visit Trading Standard’s approved trader scheme through https://orlo.uk/urCHW

"If you feel threatened by a caller, or see an crime in progress, always call 999."

If you wish to report suspicious callers that have left the area, please call 101 or report it online at the North Yorkshire Police website.

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