POLICE have urged people in this area to beware of con artists after two struck in one day and another was thwarted.

Both incidents happened within 30 minutes of one another, but are not linked.

One man paid £250 to men who dug his path up - then left.

But another potential victim turned away a man who wanted £600 to cut his hedge.

Two men wearing fluorescent jackets called at the home of an 83-year-old man in Cumberworth Road, Skelmanthorpe, at 4pm on Monday.

They asked if they could tarmac his path for £250.

He agreed and was told he would need to pay in advance, so they could go and buy the tarmac.

The victim went to a post office and withdrew the cash.

When he returned to the house the men had started to dig his path up.

He handed the money over and they asked him to fill two buckets of water, so they could dilute weedkiller.

But when the victim returned with the water, both men had gone.

Both were white. One was over 50 with light brown hair and spoke with a strong Irish accent. The other man was slim.

A conman tried to strike in Jos Lane at Shepley at about 3.30pm the same day. When an 86-year-old man answered his door the caller offered to cut his hedge for £600.

But when the man said he did not have that kind of money - and Kirklees Council cut his hedge anyway - the conman kept dropping the price, until it fell to £60.

The elderly man continually refused and the caller eventually left.

He was white, in his mid-20s, 5ft 6in and stocky, with receding light- coloured hair. He wore a tan-coloured fleece and scruffy blue denim trousers.

A police spokesman said: "People should be very wary of anyone calling at the door. Get quotes from at least three companies before agreeing for any work to be done."