Police have arrested a teenager after an elderly woman was nearly conned out of thousands by fraudsters.

The pensioner, in her 80s, became suspicious after receiving a phone call saying there was an issue with her bank from a man saying he was a police officer.

She went to Sittingbourne police station yesterday and told them they said £400 had been taken from her account by people in Birmingham.

She was told by the caller that staff from the bank were involved in a scam and were passing on fake money to the public so needed to withdraw £2,000 so it could be examined and the staff arrested.

With the police aware, arrangements were made for a courier to come and collect the money - and when they did, a 19-year-old man from Highbury, North London, was arrested on suspicion of fraud.

Courier fraud is becoming more common, with similar cases happening in the area over the last few days.

Detective Sergeant Marc Cananur said: "The victim in this case did completely the right thing when she visited her local police station to speak to an officer directly.

"We are keen to ensure people know how to spot the signs of a fraudulent phone call so their finances are not put at risk. I would encourage friends and family members to pass on fraud prevention advice to help protect residents who may not be aware of this type of scam."

Police are reminding people that neither they nor bank staff will send a courier to your home to collect cards, cash, PIN numbers, or valuables.

They advise that if you get a call you think might be suspicious, to hang up immediately without giving out information. If you want to call your bank, use a number you already know and not the one given to you by the caller.