A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a £6,300 fraud against a woman in her 80s.

The boy was arrested at Brentwood on Thursday November 14 as part of investigations into a series of telephone frauds against elderly people by bogus police officers or bank officials.

The boy, who is from east London, was charged with conspiring to commit fraud by false representation and was bailed to appear at Basildon Youth Court on December 3.

Five other people have been charged and are awaiting trial for similar offences since the start of the year.

They include two men who were arrested in London on November 4 following an attempt to steal £8,000 from a Loughton man aged in his 80s, on November 1.

Charlie Snow, 18, of Farringdon Lane, Clerkenwell and Joe Stokes 21, of Errol Street, Clerkenwell, were both charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and are both currently on court bail to appear at Basildon Magistrates’ Court .