ELDERLY and vulnerable residents in north Wiltshire are being targeted by a rogue door-to-door salesman who is tricking people into spending hundreds of pounds on fish.

Police are urging people to be wary after incidents in Bradford on Avon, Corsham, Calne and Melksham.

A man selling fish is reportedly knocking on doors and giving a ‘hard-sell’ trying to get people to buy his produce.

He states ‘three fifty’ as the price suggesting the fish costs £3.50. The trader relies on the victim not looking or not seeing properly when using a chip and pin reader, and he types £350 into the card reader and asks the victim to enter their PIN.

Three carrier bags of fish are then left on the doorstep and he leaves, having charged £350 for the items.

A woman in her late 80s, who is hard of hearing and lives in sheltered housing in Rowley Place, Melksham, paid £249 for fish last Thursday when he came to her house at 12.30pm.

No vehicles have been linked or identified in Wiltshire and the receipt gives an address in Durham.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: "If you receive a fish seller at your door, please do not buy anything and call Wiltshire Police, on 101, immediately.

“Also if you have any elderly or vulnerable neighbours, please make sure they are not scammed by this person.

"If anyone knows him or has any information about these transactions, please can they contact us via 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."