Burglars stole cash from a pensioner's home after claiming they had been sent to check her leaking sink.

The 83-year-old, who lived alone in the flat, let the three men into her home at about 11.30am on Friday.

None of the men produced identification and while one distracted the woman in the kitchen, the others went to her bedroom and living room and took £50 in cash and coins.

They left her home in Wisborough Green leaving her bath and sink hot taps running which resulted in her running out of hot water.

All the men were white. The man who went into the kitchen was in his early 20s, 5ft 2in and slim with short brown hair, wearing a t-shirt with three colours on it. He had a Sussex accent and appeared to have a speech impediment. The other men were about 5ft 8in, of average build and wearing dark clothing.

Police in Hastings have also warned residents to be vigilant after a homeowner was tricked out of a large sum of money by bogus tradesmen on April 27.

The men told him they were working at the property next door and got him to hand over more than £2,000 saying they needed to hire equipment to deal with the leak.

Police are linking that crime with another that happened in Bexhill the same day and also with a number of other similar offences from across Sussex.