Police said on Sunday that they have arrested a 50-year-old man on suspicion of burgling into three homes by posing as an officer from the Water Supplies Department checking pipes.

Officers said those who filed the reports late last month are in their 70s, and live in Cheung Sha Wan, Sham Shui Po and Tuen Mun respectively.

The force said the arrestee is suspected of entering their homes without showing a work pass, and taking away items like cash and Octopus cards during his brief stays.

"Once the arrestee entered the flat, he’s believed to have pretended to perform the pipe checks," said police inspector Mak Pui-naam.

"And when the resident wasn’t paying attention, he's suspected of taking away property that's put in conspicuous spots before leaving right away."

Mak said the flats concerned either lack surveillance cameras and gates, are in tenement buildings without a security guard, or are public housing units where a person could peek inside the flat from the corridor.

She called on members the public to be extra vigilant when people claiming to be government workers try to enter their homes, saying residents should always cross-check their identities.