DISTRESSING prank calls have been targeting elderly residents in Reading.

Victims who have answered the nuisance calls are shouted at by an irate Scottish man claiming they are stealing his wifi.

Despite all of the calls being prerecorded they give residents the impression that they are speaking to a real person in a range of different scenarios.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "Sometimes there is a mobile phone number showing and other times the number is withheld.

"It appears that these calls are predominantly targeting elderly and young people and can cause alarm and distress to the call taker."

Police are advising victims to either ignore the calls or log them with 101 and speak to their providers to have the calls blocked.