Police are urging the public to “remain vigilant” following reports of road surfacing scams across Lincolnshire.

Lincolnshire Police say they have received reports in recent weeks of the scams occurring in at four locations across the county – including Crowland.

In one incident, a land owner was subjected to “intimidating threats” and demands for money.

A force spokesperson explained: “We’re urging the public to remain vigilant and we are appealing for any information that may assist our enquiries.

“It has been reported that chippings - commonly referred to as ‘tarmac’ - have been dumped on several business premises without the landowners’ consent, followed by intimidating demands for payment.

“A truck suspected of dumping the stones on one occasion is believed to be an Iveco three‑and‑a‑half‑tonne tipper, fitted with orange flashing lights.

“One business owner had been given a spurious story of nearby vehicle being damaged with the driver of the truck asking for ‘a favour’ to be able ‘to offload rubble while he helped with the recovery of the damaged vehicle’.

"They were then told that they owed significant amounts of money, with intimidating threats being made should payment not be forthcoming. All calls have been made from a withheld number.”

Police are now making the community aware of this activity “to prevent further instances taking place”.

CID Detective Constable Rebecca Graves, investigating these cases, commented: “We are asking that you to notify us immediately if you become aware of another instance. Do not hand over any money and inform us immediately. Please spread the word on these scams far and wide.”

Rebecca Money, Senior Trading Standards Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, added: “It’s incredibly sad and frustrating to see criminals targeting local businesses in this way.

“If your business is approached by people saying they need to dump materials on your land or premises, it’s important that you do not agree, do not sign anything and do not hand over any money. Instead, report it to Lincolnshire Police and the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. By reporting incidences, you are helping us to gather intelligence and build an accurate picture of this criminal activity."

If you have any information that could assist the police in their investigation, there are several ways you can contact them:

• By calling 101, stating reference ‘26000039877’

• By emailing our Force Control Room via [email protected], quoting ‘Niche 26000039877’ in the subject line.

• By getting in touch with Citizens Advice via: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer or calling the consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.

• Or anonymously, via the Crimestoppers website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously

• Always call 999 in an emergency.

The police spokesperson added: “All intelligence is handled sensitively and confidentially. Incidents 135 and 275 of 21 January refer, and 74 and 303 of 24 February.”