A telephone hotline has been set up to help police in the fight against bogus callers and distraction burglaries.

Dudley Council's housing services department has teamed up with local police to provide the new scheme for council tenants.

Doorstep conmen have targeted vulnerable and elderly residents across the Dudley borough.

Now people who believe bogus callers are operating in their area can call the hotline - 01384 812045 - 24 hours a day.

Vulnerable members

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Gillick, crime manager at Dudley North police, said officers were "using new tactics to catch these cowardly criminals".

He added: "Our main objective is to prevent the vulnerable members of our communities falling victim to these unscrupulous people.

"This initiative will help prevent crime and give us a better chance of convicting the offenders by improving response times and increasing our criminal intelligence."

Dudley Council's chief housing officer John Stringer said the scheme had been introduced to help make people feel safer in their homes.