Three arrested after pensioner paid out £5,030

Three people have been arrested for fraud after a Surrey pensioner handed over more than £5,000.

The 74-year-old from Woodhatch first agreed to pay £80 for hedge trimming.

A few days later, the gardener requested £250 to help pay for his mother's funeral, followed by a series of phone calls asking for more money.

A 15-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man from Woodhatch, and an 18-year-old man from Reigate have been released on bail.

The pensioner received phone calls between 29 October and 21 November asking for cash and made 30 withdrawals totalling £5,030.

On Thursday the pensioner was contacted again and was asked to meet the suspects and hand over more money.

Surrey Police went to the location and arrested the three suspects.

Det Con Berenice Moore, from Surrey Police, said: "They used emotional blackmail to obtain the victim's money and repeatedly went back to gain more."

"The con-men presented themselves as plausible, helpful and friendly handymen in order to extort money from their elderly victim."