ELDERLY people in the Gwent Valleys are being warned to be on their guard for a conman with an Italian accent selling fake leather jackets.

The message comes from Caerphilly County Borough Council trading standards officers who are appealing for people who have been duped by the man to come forward.

Last week the man, described as being in his mid 30s, with an Italian accent, of dark appearance and well-dressed, conned two elderly people in the Newbridge area.

And since an appeal went in the Argus last week, Caerphilly trading standards has received several useful leads from people, including the registration number, KV52 RJZ, of the silver Nissan Almeira the man is believed to be driving.

Trading standards officer, Tim Keohane, said: "This man is deliberately targeting the most vulnerable. He meets pensioners in the street and comes up with various stories.

"He tells elderly men, 'You look like my father, I want to give you a nice gift', which turns out to be six or seven fake leather jackets costing £350.

"Another story is, 'I own a leather jacket factory in Italy and I've just been to an exhibition in Newport (or Cardiff) and I can't take these jacket back home with me because I'll have to pay duty on them.'

"He also says, 'I need money to buy a present for my son'."

It is believed the man may be part of a gang operating in the Gwent area and a similar incident occurred in Pontypool on Wednesday involving a man driving a blue Fiat.

Mr Keohane said that two elderly people in their 80s and 90s from the Cwmbran area were conned out of £400 to £500 just before Christmas.

Jacqui Morgan, Caerphilly council senior trading standards officer, said: "The jackets are fakes made from PVC but aren't obviously so, they need a second glance."

She appealed for anyone with information or wishing to make a complaint to come forward because the people who had been conned in the Caerphilly borough area so far were too embarrassed to take the matter further.

* Anyone with further information is asked to contact their own local authority's trading standards office or Gwent Police on 01633 838111.

Caerphilly trading standards are on 01495 235064.