Herts police have warned that they have been alerted to potential bogus charity door-to-door callers in Stevenage.

Not all collections claiming to raise money for charity are genuine.

You can check the registered charity number against the online register at charitycommission.gov.uk.

If a collection only gives a registered company number, it is a business, not a charity.

Be suspicious of collections for vague causes such as ‘poor children’ or ‘homeless people’.

If an organisation only provides a mobile phone number, or no number at all, this may mean it does not want to answer questions, or has something to hide.

A spokesperson for Herts police said: "We have been alerted to potential bogus charity door-to-door callers in Stevenage.

"Callers at your door may not be who they say. You should never let unexpected callers into your home."