An elderly man fell victim to rogue traders.

A disabled pensioner felt so threatened in his home that he handed over hundreds of pounds to two rogue traders.

In what police have described as an unusual and worrying criminal modus operandi, a 70-year-old handed over cash after being stopped in the street.

The man was stopped in Wroxham Road near his home in Coughtrey Close, Sprowston at 3pm on Tuesday, by two men in their 20s who claimed they repaired his roof last year.

The men, who had thick Irish accents, followed the man - who lives alone and requires a wheelchair to get about - to his house in Coughtrey Close, left, and returned 10 minutes later, convincing him they had repaired “troughing” last year.

Inside his house the man realised he was being conned as the men pretended to clear guttering. They demanded £450 and he gave them £300.

“He paid them to get rid of them, He was not in a position to do anything about it and felt very intimidated and threatened,” said DC Stephen Matthews of specialist police team Operation Radar.

“The way this has worked, with them stopping the victim in the street and taking him to his home, is worrying, I have not seen that before in Norwich. This modus operandi is new to us. It is normally just cold calling.”

DS Pete Jessop said: “Do not hand over money at the door, if you suspect something, do not deal with them, full stop.

“It is fair to say the elderly are more often targeted, because they trust people.”

Both men are white, mid 20s, and 5ft 10ins tall. One has a slim build with short blond hair and was casually dressed, the other was stockier build with short black hair.

Anyone who can help call PC Mason on 101 or anonymously on 0800 555 111.