Smokers have been conned by a couple who pretended to sell them a sack of tobacco which turned out to be a grow bag.

The pair managed to convince at least two people in Worthing and Brighton to part with cash.

One was working at a company in Hollingbury, Brighton, on Sunday afternoon when a man and a pregnant woman pulled up in a car.

The victim said: "They said they had just come from holiday and couldn't get to a bank. They said they had tobacco to sell and asked if I wanted some."

He asked to see the product before he bought it, so they opened up their boot and showed him a black bag full of Golden Virginia rolling tobacco.

He asked for £200-worth and drove to Asda in Hollingbury to withdraw cash. The couple followed in their white L-registered Rover 316.

The victim handed over the cash and the couple drove away.

When he opened the black bag there were only four pouches of tobacco inside and a growbag, worth a total of about £9.

Later on Sunday night the victim bumped into a friend in a pub in Worthing who told him he had been caught out in the same scam earlier in the day at a car boot sale in Worthing.

The Brighton man reported the con to police.

A spokeswoman said: "If an offer seems too good to be true it usually is. People should buy tobacco from a legitimate outlet."