A WATER board uniform and ID card which were stolen from a van may be used by people posing as bogus officials, police have warned.

A Northumbrian Water van which was parked outside a house on the Low Mown Meadows estate in Crook, County Durham was targeted between 4.10pm on January 10 and 7.40am on January 11.

A Northumbrian Water holdall stolen from the van is thought to contain a pair of overalls, a high visibility jacket and a sweatshirt, all bearing the company logo.

Police say there is also the possibility that it contained a Northumbrian Water ID card.

Other items in the van, such as tools, were not taken, leading officers to believe that it was targeted specifically for the clothing and ID.

There is now a concern that the stolen items will be used by bogus officials, who will seek to enter people's homes pretending to be from Northumbrian Water.

The advice is always to check the identity of callers, don't let anyone into your home unless you are satisfied as to their identity and their reason for calling, and ask a friend or neighbour to wait with you while you check their credentials. Most utility calls are by pre-arranged appointment.

Sergeant Shaun Davis, from Crook police, said: "This wasn't your usual smash and grab. They have gained access to under the bonnet and disabled the alarm - so they obviously wanted some time to search the inside of the van.

"We are now concerned that there is potentially someone out there who can come to the door dressed as a legitimate water board official and we need people to be alert."

Any witnesses, anyone with information about the theft or anyone concerned about bogus callers in the Crook area should contact Durham Constabulary on 0345-60-60-365 and ask for the Crook neighbourhood team or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.