RESIDENTS have been warned to beware of a fraudster pretending to be from the police asking for money.

Thames Valley Police put out the alert this afternoon after a series of attempts by the scammer to target households in West Oxfordshire by phone.

In a statement the force said: "In the Chipping Norton area calls have been received by persons claiming to be police requesting money. Please do not respond this is a SCAM.

"The police will never call requesting money.

"Please check on any vulnerable people or relatives and advise them that if they receive a call to please call 101 or 999 in an emergency."