A conman posing as a water company official targeted four elderly West Sussex residents in an hour.

Police are linking the burglaries, which happened on Tuesday afternoon around the Arun district.

The man struck first in Dairy Lane, Walberton, near Arundel, where he made off with cash after telling a pensioner a water main had burst and he had to turn off their supply.

Half an hour later he tricked his way into a house in Bersted, near Bognor.

He told the elderly resident he needed access because the local post office had flooded.

Shortly after 4.15pm he approached an elderly woman walking home in Felpham, Bognor.

The man told her the mains had burst and she should return home to turn off the water.

As she made her way up the driveway he grabbed her handbag.

In the fourth incident, shortly before 5pm, a pensioner was again told the mains had burst before the thief made off with a quantity of cash.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said: "This is very distressing for the people involved, particularly as they are all elderly.

"It is quite unusual to have so many incidents so quickly and we would appeal for anyone with information to get in contact.

"We are linking all the incidents because it is a similar description in all the cases."

The man is described as white, dark haired and in his 20s. A red car was seen at some of the burglaries.

Anyone with information should contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999.