Two men have been charged with impersonating An Garda Síochána. 

On Tuesday, Gardaí arrested five people on suspicion of visiting rural homes dressed in Garda uniform and confiscating cash from residents.

The arrests were made with support from armed Gardaí, as part of an investigation into a criminal gang involved in theft and fraud by officers based in Kilkenny.

Two of the men, one in his 30s and one in his 60s, have been charged and are due before Kilkenny District Court this morning.

The others have been released without charge with files now being prepared by the DPP.

Gardaí have advised the public that they would never cold call a person's home and ask to inspect cash in such a way.

If anyone doubts whether someone is a genuine member of the force, they are allowed to ask for their name and verify this information with the local Garda station.

Main image: Members of An Garda Síochána. Picture by: Alamy.com