A conman described as looking 'like Wayne Rooney, but with ginger hair' is scamming victims by selling them a laptop bag - minus the laptop.

At around 1.30pm on Thursday 11th October, a victim of the con was walking in the North Laine area of Brighton when he was approached by an Irish man who offered him a laptop for sale. He handed over £220 and was given a laptop bag. It was only a short time later when he realised he had been duped and the bag contained no laptop, just old magazines.

Another man was also approached outside the Mash Tun public house in Church Street, Brighton, at around the same time but did not hand over any money and reported the matter to police.

The conman is described as 'looking like Wayne Rooney with ginger hair', with an Irish accent, wearing a stripey top.

The scam was used last year and several people lost hundreds of pounds to conmen offering electrical goods at knock-down prices.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Pollard said:

"Yet again, we are hearing of an incident where people have handed over money for what they believe to be genuine goods, only to find out they have been cheated out of their money.

"It might sound harsh, but if people want to engage in back street transactions without stopping and asking themselves why the goods are being sold in this manner then, in my opinion, they must have money to throw away. These conmen must be laughing all the way to the bank.

"It's quite simple - stick to proper retail outlets and you won't be conned. Being approached by complete strangers means one of two things: either you get nothing for your money or you are being offered stolen goods, which could actually result in you being prosecuted for handling stolen property.

"I'm sure most people think they would never fall for such a scam, but the fact of the matter is that they are. Use your common sense. If you are approached by someone selling goods in this manner, decline.

"If you are able, try and make a note of any vehicle registration numbers or discreetly take a photo of the conmen with your mobile phone. We don't want to hear any more reports of people who have been ripped off in this manner."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Brighton & Hove Police on 0845 60 70 999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.