RESIDENTS are being urged to be on Halloween guard tonight after a gang of youngsters pretended to collect money to help pensioners.

A group of five children believed to be aged 11 and 12 have been knocking on doors in St Germain Street, Farnworth, and the surrounding streets claiming to be collecting money on behalf of Alexander Briant Court sheltered accommodation.

Manager of the private housing complex in Parkfield Avenue, Sandra Stevens, only discovered children had been collecting money when they turned up and presented her with £1.

But the youngsters are believed to have collected several pounds and were even carrying a letter claiming they had permission to raise funds from Mrs Stevens.

She has reported the matter to the police and wants to make it clear that the housing complex would never send children to collect money door-to-door.

She said: "This is quite a serious matter and I was really upset when someone phoned wanting to know why we were sending children to collect money from them.

"The children were even carrying a letter with the name of the housing complex at the top."