Fraudsters impersonating police officers tricked an elderly woman out of hundreds of pounds.

The two men pretended they were police to lie their way into the 79-year-old woman's home to steal £830 in cash.

They called at her door in Peterborough Road, Carshalton, on Wednesday, October 5, saying they wanted to check the cash she had just withdrawn from the Post Office in Middleton Circle because they believed it to be counterfeit.

She was shown what she believed to be police identification.

The woman showed the men a box in her bedroom wardrobe which contained £830 cash.

The men asked her if she had any more money and threatened to bring in police sniffer dogs if she was lying.

She said that was all the money she had. They took the money and left. They spent half-an-hour in the woman's home.

PC Duncan Harris, crime prevention officer at Sutton Police Station, said: "Crimes like this are few and far between in the borough but it’s important that residents remain wary of unexpected and unknown callers.”

The first suspect is described as a white man, of medium build, aged 30 to 40, about 5ft 8ins tall.

He was wearing a dark long-sleeved top, dark plain trousers and black shoes.

The other suspect is described as a white man, aged 30, of slim build, and about 5ft 8in tall.

He was clean shaven with short dark hair, and wearing a dark long-sleeved top, dark plain trousers and black shoes.

Anyone with information can contact Sutton police station on 10, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.