A distraction burglary has shocked a resident in the Widmer End area who was scammed by a man posing as a solar panel engineer.

Thames Valley Police received a report from a resident who was initially contacted via telephone to arrange an appointment for solar panel service.

On the scheduled day, a man named 'Mark' showed up to perform checks that required access to areas within the house.

A relative visiting the resident became suspicious and questioned 'Mark' about his company.

Mark responded with two legitimate company names and gave a contact number, but carried no identification.

Later checks revealed that neither company sent an engineer to the address and the contact number was non-existent.

Despite not showing any identification, Mark was able to answer questions on solar panels and gave no immediate reason not to be believed.

Police have advised residents to follow these steps: LOCK your doors; STOP and think if you're expecting anyone, look through a peephole or window, and CHECK their identity card carefully.

If unsure, independently verify the company's number and call to confirm the person's details.

Avoid using the phone number on the card, it could be a scam.

Police added: "Do not ring the number on the card as this could be part of the scam."