RESIDENTS have been warned after reports of cold callers pretending to be from the council.

Eastleigh Borough Council has put a warning out on its site after it was made aware that multiple householders in Eastleigh have been visited by a man claiming he is from the council.

This individual is said to have demanded entry to the residents' properties to discuss unpaid council tax this is owed.

Now though it is said that these approaches are "fraudulent" and have now been reported to police.

A council spokesperson said: "Residents should be aware that these approaches are fraudulent and the Council would never act/contact residents in this manner.

"A Council Officer or agencies representing the Council would always identify themselves and you would always receive correspondence prior to a visit taking place.

"These approaches have been reported to the Police and we are advising residents to simply close the door to anyone making an approach of this nature. You should report any incident of this kind to the Police by calling 101."

This comes after the county council put out their own warning last month about cold callers in the area, saying that people were knocking on doors, offering their services to clean driveways, patios and paths.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson: “We have received a number of reports of suspicious activity in Eastleigh in recent weeks, with a man cold-calling on residents doors purporting to be from Eastleigh Borough Council. He has been claiming that he wants to come inside properties to discuss unpaid council tax issues with the home owner.

“This is a common distraction burglary method – tricking homeowners to letting someone they do not know into their homes – with a view to then committing burglary. Our advice would be to always use door chains when answering the door and if you’re unsure who they are, do no open the door.

“If residents see any suspicious callers or activity, please report this to the police immediately by calling 101 or via the Hampshire Constabulary website – as it enables local officers to understand the bigger picture of where potential criminals are operating and informs where they should place their resources with a view to bringing those responsible for committing offences to justice.”