Muslims preparing to make a pilgrimage to Mecca have been warned not to let fraudsters ruin their trip.

Thousands of people from the UK are expected to make the once-in-a-lifetime journey for Hajj this October.

But City of London Police have warned travellers to be on the alert, following 44 reports of Hajj-related fraud last year.

People should be wary of package tours to Mecca that look too good to be true, and to stick to reputable, properly licensed operators which are ATOL protected and accredited by the Saudi Embassy.