POLICE in Ivybridge are warning residents to be on their guard after an elderly woman was asked to pay £500 for shoddy work carried out by a gang of rogue gardeners.

PCSO Di Summers said the woman, who she described as ’quite vulnerable’, was visited on Wednesday at home - she lives in sheltered housing in Ivybridge.

The victim was persuaded to have gardening work done by the men, who arrived in a white flat bed truck with writing including the words ’garden services’ on it. After working all day, and doing a ’very substandard job’ according to PCSO Summers, the men asked for £500 in payment.

While the woman did not pay the full sum demanded, she handed over a significant amount of money to the men. Police were alerted by a neighbour of the woman, but have not caught up with the perpetrators.

PCSO Summers said: ’We want to warn people, that if they see neighbours having work done, it’s maybe worth just engaging with them to check everything is ok.’