POLICE are warning Isle of Wight residents to be on their guard against rogue traders who are trying to sell machines out of the back of vans.
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) say they have received several reports of two Ford Transit vans and a Maroon Mitsubishi Shogun driving around the Isle of Wight and their occupants trying to sell items of machinery including generators.
Police say: "We work closely with Isle of Wight Trading Standards and we would both like to remind all residents on the island to be aware of purchasing items from the back of vehicles from a stranger."
A number of suspicious incidents involving people offering items for sale have been reported to police over the past few days.
These include on Thursday at 1pm in Newport in Buckbury Lane where a man offered a generator for sale from the back of a van; also on Thursday, at 3pm in Ryde High Street, a man offered a generator for sale, and in Castle Street in East Cowes, a man driving around offering kitchen items for sale.
On Wednesday, in Canteen Road, Whitely Bank, a man was also seen offering a generator for sale.
Other incidents have been reported at Shanklin, Binstead and Wootton.
Anyone with concerns should not hesitate to report them to the police via 101 or the Isle of Wight Council Trading Standards Department.