Two teens were caught in the act as they tried to con an elderly couple in Pitsea.

A 19-year-old man from Cambridgeshire and a 16-year-old boy from Tilbury were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation and burglary after police received a call that they were behaving unusually by a resident.

The elderly couple reported that four men had knocked on their door.

The men claimed that a neighbour had been unhappy with an overhanging tree in their garden.

The men offered to fix the problem and received a three-figure sum of cash in return.

While the couple were talking to the men inside the garden, Essex Police say that another man entered the property.

The victims then found that another three-figure sum of cash had been taken from inside the house.

The suspects had already left the scene, but after a search of the area, police stopped them in a van on the A127 in Basildon shortly after.

Two of the men were arrested at the time, however they have since been released on bail until January 18 next year, pending further investigation.

For more advice about distraction burglaries and tips to pass on to relatives and friends, visit: www.essex.police.uk/secure