A WARNING has been issued to residents in York after bogus smoke detector engineers were found to be operating at Skelton.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service warned last month that youths posing as official engineers had been in operation at Sinnington, near Pickering, but they now appear to have moved on to the York area.

According to a fire service spokesman they work in pairs with one keeping the householder talking while the other tries to gain entry to the house. It is not thought that anything has been stolen.

They were seen driving a red Ford Escort van with a roof rack and were identified as either two young males or a man and a woman. The vehicle may have had the word FIRE on the side.

The police are aware of the incidents.

Updated: 11:15 Saturday, April 06, 2002