<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-24
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>incinv02.txt
<TEXT>

John Hancock Income Securities Trust
John Hancock Investors Trust




                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                -----------------

     The  undersigned  Trustee  of  each  of the  above  listed  Trusts,  each a
Massachusetts  business  trust or Maryland  corporation,  does hereby  severally
constitute  and  appoint  SUSAN S.  NEWTON and AVERY P.  MAHER,  and each acting
singly, to be my true, sufficient and lawful attorneys,  with full power to each
of them, and each acting singly,  to sign for me, in my name and in the capacity
indicated  below,  any Form 3, Form 4 or Form 5 filed by me under  Section 16 of
Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,  as amended (the "1934 Act"),  with respect to
transactions  in  shares  of the Trust to hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  my
signature as it may be signed by said attorneys or each of them to any such Form
3, Form 4 or Form 5 and any and all amendments thereto.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  I have hereunder set my hand on this Instrument as of
the 19TH day of November, 2002.


/s/Maureen R. Ford                              /s/Dennis S. Aronowitz
-----------------------------                   -----------------------------
Maureen R. Ford, as Chairman and                Dennis S. Aronowitz
Chief Executive Officer


/s/Richard P. Chapman, Jr.                      /s/William J. Cosgrove
-----------------------------                   -----------------------------
Richard P. Chapman, Jr.                         William J. Cosgrove


/s/John M. DeCiccio                             /s/Richard A. Farrell
-----------------------------                   -----------------------------
John M. DeCiccio, as Trustee                    Richard A. Farrell


/s/Gail D. Fosler                               /s/William F. Glavin
-----------------------------                   -----------------------------
Gail D. Fosler                                  William F. Glavin


/s/Patti McGill Peterson                        /s/John A. Moore
-----------------------------                   -----------------------------
Patti McGill Peterson                           John A. Moore



/s/John W. Pratt
-----------------------------
John W. Pratt



S:\Corporate Secretary\GENERAL\PRWATTN\02closed-endForm 4Income&Investors.doc

S:\Corporate   Secretary\GENERAL\PRWATTN\02closed-endForm  3,  Form  4  or  Form
5Income&Investors.doc


</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
