An actress has warned fellow residents to beware of two bogus charity collectors who approached her for money in a Hampstead street.

The star, who asked not to be identified, told how two teenagers claimed to be collecting cash for charity TackleAfrica and asked for donations.

She said: “I never give money in the street and I have been scammed a few times and was suspicious. I told them I would contact the charity and donate online.”

She emailed the Brixton-based charity to tell them of her suspicions.

A reply from the charity said: “Unfortunately your initial suspicions were correct – we would never advise or condone that young people approach the public for cash on the street.

“Sadly this is not the first time we’ve heard of such activity, and we’ve been in touch with the police.”

TackleAfrica is a Bona Fide Charity which supports young people in Africa affected by HIV.

The victim, who has since donated to them online, described the two suspected scammers, who approached her in Lyndhurst Road last Friday as black and in their early teens.

She said one was chubby, while the other was very thin.