CHESHIRE Police are warning of a bogus missionary who is believed to be targeting churches and hoteliers.

A man recently attended the United Reformed Church in the Redcar area in the north east and spoke with the minister.

The man told the minister that he was a missionary and that he was in ill health and his wife had passed away in Kenya.

The man promised that his son was on his way over from Canada and would settle any bills and money he owed.

The minister gave the man money to pay for bills and food. It is believed that the same man had stayed at a local bed and breakfast, ran up a bill and left with the keys to the property.

Officers believe that the man has now left the area and could be anywhere in the country and would warn the clergy and hoteliers to be vigilant following the incident.

The suspect is described as a white South European male, around 6ft tall, with dark brown hair which had grey patches and of medium build. He wore dark glasses and smart casual clothing, trousers and shirts rather than jeans.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Alternatively, log on to crimestoppers-uk.org