North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) has issued a warning after a spate of fake phone calls from people claiming to represent the local authority.

A spokesman said an alert about the scam on NNDC's Facebook page had reached 17,000 people and been shared 360 times.

And many people had posted their experiences of receiving the phone calls, which were sometimes abusive.

Callers claimed either to represent NNDC or, one occasion, Norfolk County Council and said they were ringing about insurance claims and went on to ask about alleged 'accidents'.

If people challenged them, the caller had sometimes become very aggressive.

Many calls were made from the number 020 1471 5171. When rung back, a recorded voice said the number was not recognised. Some calls from this number were silent.

One victim, Danny Adams, posted on NNDC's Facebook page: 'Thank God I didn't fall for it.... disgraceful people, the way they spoke to me'.

The spokesman said: 'So many people seem to have been affected. These calls are not legitimate. Please don't share personal information. Just hang up.'

NNDC would be reporting the scam to the relevant authorities.