AN ELDERLY man living near Ledbury foiled a scammer claiming to be from a government agency who was trying to cheat him out of cash.

The 96-year-old received a call at his home in Bromsberrow Heath on the Herefordshire-Gloucestershire border during the morning on Friday, July 31 from someone who told him he was eligible for an £8,000 grant for being “an upstanding member of the public”.

The caller gave the man a code and a London number to ring, telling him he would have to make a transfer of £110 so the grant could be processed.

But the pensioner was immediately suspicious and called the police.

An officer called the number the caller had given the man and, after making enquiries about the location of the call centre, the person on the other end hung up.

Any similar scams can be reported to police on 101.

Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.