SUSPECTED fraudsters have been scouring people's bins and taking away documents in shopping trolleys, it has been revealed.

Two men, believed to be from eastern Europe, have been spotted going through rubbish bags around Finchley Road and Satanita Road, Westcliff.

They had wheeled shopping bags tand were placing items they found interesting inside.

The alarm was raised by chance after residents called the council complaining there was rubbish strewn over the pavement. Council workers called police when they realised it was potential identity fraudsters at work.

Mick Holland, from Southend Neighbourhood Watch, said people needed to be vigilant with their personal details.

He said: "It looks like it was a couple of eastern Europeans going through bins around the two roads in Westcliff.

"We are quite sure they were looking for personal details to sell on or use themselves. They will take anything like envelopes, bank statement, or credit card slips. Anything that can be used to steal someone's identity."

Mr Holland said the fraudsters may have been operating for several weeks.

He said: "Identity theft is big business and anything they can get their hands on they will steal. The safest thing to do with any of your personal details is to either shred them, or use them to light the barbecue. Anything rather than handing them on a plate to thieves.

"What happened in this case is that there was rubbish on the road and we think that people were taking the rubbish bags around the corner from the house, going through them and dumping anything they didn't want."