Three callous rogue traders who preyed on elderly vulnerable victims have been jailed for a total of 16 years.

A judge told Stanley Pearce, his father Stanley Petherick and Amos Vincent they were “horrid” offences.

Pearce, of Crockenhill Road, Orpington, and Vincent, of Teal Avenue, Orpington, admitted two offences of burglary and one of attempted burglary.

Petherick, of Saxon Place, Dartford, denied the charges but was convicted.

Vincent, 32, also admitted five fraud offences committed in the Croydon area. He was sentenced to six-and-a-half years.

Pearce, 28, was sentenced to four years and 52-year-old Petherick to five-and-a-half years.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the three posed as water board officials when they went to the home of a 73-year-old man in Fant Lane, Barming, in February.

One said the water could be contaminated and they needed to check his supply. He ran the raps and then declared it was clear.

After he left, the victim discovered his anorak containing his wallet with £50, keys and credit cards was missing.

Prosecutor Gary Pons said the money had been set aside for food and bills.

The next victim was Christine Hayward, also 73, who suffered from chronic arthritis and relied on a walking frame.

This time two of the men went to her home in Medway Avenue, Yalding, the same day and told her they needed to check her money was not counterfeit.

They said they would take it to their van to inspect it and then disappeared with £300.

Mrs Hayward, who has since died, had been the victim of a similar con five years earlier when men claimed they were form the water board and then took her savings.

Later that day, the three went to the home of a partially sighted man in Old Road East, Gravesend, claiming they were police officers.

They claimed they had arrested a man in a robbery who had counterfeit money on him and needed to check if he was implicated.

They left empty-handed and the victim called the police. He had also previously been the victim of a con.

Mr Pons said Petherick, Pearce and Vincent were arrested through automatic number plate recognition and cell site analysis of mobile phones.

Vincent, who was jailed for three years in 2007 for a similar offence, also conned an elderly woman out of almost £30,000 in Croydon after carrying out bogus building work at her bungalow.

Judge Carroll said Vincent had made it “almost a career” to target elderly people.

“People like you steal in this horrid way,” he told all three.

The judge ordered that a Vauxhall Vectra car used in the crimes would be confiscated and £445 seized be paid as compensation to victims.