Police are warning elderly people to be on the alert following three separate burglary incidents they believe are linked.

At around 3.30pm on Tuesday a woman called at the house of an elderly gentleman at Annadale Terrace. She claimed he had won a kitchen and persuaded him to let her into the house.

On entering she left the door open and was then followed by a man who ransacked a number of upstairs rooms. It is not thought at this stage that anything was taken from the house.

The same couple is believed to be responsible for a very similar incident on Monday when a woman, again claiming that the elderly householder had won a prize, entered a house at Finwood Park just before 3pm.

A man then entered through the door left open by her and searched an upstairs room. When confronted by the householder, a minor struggle ensued. The victim was not injured but the man, who suffers from a heart condition, was severely shocked as a result of the incident. Nothing was taken.

The female suspect is thought to be around 20-years-old, around 5’2” tall and was wearing a black suit and white blouse. The man is thought to be in his late 20s, with shoulder length dark hair and also dressed in black.

Detectives in Downpatrick are also investigating the possibility that the same couple could be responsible for a "distraction burglary" in Ballynahinch on Tuesday.

An elderly lady admitted a young woman claiming to be from the DHSS to her Moss Road home, which was then ransacked by a man. The burglars escaped with a sum of money.

Anyone with information on the above incidents is asked to contact the burglary team at Musgrave Street on 028 9065 0222 or CID in Downpatrick on 028 4461 5011.

(MB/SP)