Suffolk Police are pledging support to this year's National Neighbourhood Watch Week in a bid to protect the county's elderly and vulnerable.

The initiative runs from Saturday June 17 until Sunday June 25.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said: 'Neighbourhood Watch is a useful way in which communities can work together with the police to prevent, detect and reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

'The message for this year's awareness week is Connecting and Protecting Communities, with particular focus on raising awareness of scams.

'Scams often target people in vulnerable situations and can come in many forms; emails, letters, telephone calls or in-person visits where rogue traders make false claims to con the victim out of money.'

The national Neighbourhood Watch Network is working alongside the National Trading Standards Scams Team and encouraging its members to join Friends Against Scams to enable communities to talk about and understand scams, and to take a stand against them.

Alan Osborne, community safety manager at Suffolk Police, said: 'Scams often prey on the elderly and vulnerable.'

'We can all play a part in protecting ourselves, our families, friends and neighbours from falling victim to scams by raising awareness of them and how they work to defraud people.

'Being part of a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme builds a stronger community spirit and by knowing your neighbours, anyone suspicious becomes more much obvious. By working together, we can continue to keep Suffolk a safe place to live and work.'

You can find out more about the Suffolk watch schemes near you by visiting: www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/home-safety/watch-schemesFor more information About Friends Against Scams visit: www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk