Detectives probing a scam in which six elderly pensioners were conned out of almost £1 million on their doorsteps have arrested three men.

Police say a gang is believed to be behind a series of frauds in which elderly homeowners were convinced to hand over huge sums of cash for unnecessary building work to their homes.

The men, aged in their 40s, were arrested following a series of early morning raids in Harrow, Enfield, Hertfordshire and Essex yesterday.

The victims are aged between 85 and 92, but detectives believe there may be more who have not come forward.

The Met's new Organised Crime Advisers, detectives from the Met's Organised Crime Command, officers from Brent and Harrow Trading Standards and colleagues in South Wales took part in the arrests.

Detective Constable Zara Baker, of the Met's Organised Crime Command, said: "The elderly and vulnerable have a right to feel safe from scammers."

Simon Legg, senior Trading Standards service manager at Brent and Harrow Council, said: 'We wish to make it clear that those who prey on the elderly or vulnerable extracting money for unnecessary building works and other fraudulent scams will not be tolerated."