The pair claimed to be from Liverpool City Council

Police have issued a warning to parents after a couple posed as education officials in Liverpool.

A woman let the pair into her Toxteth home after they claimed that her three-year-old son was not attending school.

Merseyside Police say they are treating the incident "very seriously" and are warning parents to be on their guard.

The man and woman called at the house at Gwendoline Street at lunchtime on Wednesday and said they were from the city council's education department.

The woman let the couple in after they said they wanted to speak about her son, who is attending speech therapy lessons at a local school.

The pair also showed the mother purple and white identity cards.

Well-dressed

The woman became suspicious after letting them in and asked them to leave.

Detective Constable Dave Woodroofe, of Allerton CID, said: "We don't know what the motive for the visit was, but we are treating it extremely seriously and an investigation is underway.

"This couple were well-dressed, and carrying identification, and seemed - on the face of things at least - to be who they said they were.

"Clearly, we need to find this couple as soon as possible and I would urge any witnesses to come forward."

The man was white, aged about 40, 5ft 8ins tall. He had jet black hair with a white streak on the right side, a goatee beard and wore a thick gold wedding band.

The woman was aged about 17, 5 ft tall and slim. She had mid-brown hair, cut into a bob and was wearing a white blouse with a black long-length pencil skirt.