CCTV cameras captured a conman as he tricked his way into a Halesowen pensioner's home by posing as a handyman.

On Wednesday, November 8, the crook knocked on a property in Carters Lane and stated he was there to collect VAT for some repairs recently carried out at the property.

The 82-year-old homeowner let him inside, as he did owe a company some cash for fixing his roof earlier in November.

But the would-be conman was forced to leave the house empty-handed after the pensioner questioned the amount quoted.

Home CCTV installed at the property caught the suspect on camera, and the tech-savvy pensioner handed the footage over to police.

Detective Constable Sean Lowe, of West Midlands Police, has released a still from the footage in the hope of tracing the man pictured, before he can strike again.

He said: “The attempt to defraud this individual had some level of planning behind it and had the homeowner been more vulnerable the person responsible may well have been successful in stealing hundreds of pounds.

“Thankfully that is not the case, but I’m concerned that this individual may seek to target other more vulnerable members of the community.”

Anyone with information should contact DC Sean Lowe via email to s.lowe@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk, or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting 20DY/247607J/17.