POLICE have stepped up patrols in the Mexican resort of Los Cabos, where looters stripped stores of goods and tens of thousands of people faced a fourth day without water or power in the aftermath of Hurricane Odile.

The authorities said officers would stop and question anyone they found on the streets after nightfall to make sure they had legitimate business at that hour.

Officials stopped short of calling it a curfew.

The measure sought to allay security concerns after days of looting of all types of outlets from convenience stores to major retailers.

Some residents were worried private homes could be next. Madelynn Pase, a Canadian living in Los Cabos, said: "People are running down streets with shopping carts and you can see the desperation."

President Enrique Pena Nieto's office said the government was working with state authorities on relief efforts.