A 33-year-old has been arrested after a “vulnerable” elderly man’s home was burgled in Wiltshire.

The burglary took place in Willesley, near Malmesbury, when a man in his 80s woke up to find a stranger wearing a high-viz jacket in the hallway of his home on Monday, April 24.

He confronted the stranger, who asked him if he had any scrap metal for sale before leaving when he was told there was none at the property.

The elderly victim later discovered a substantial amount of money had been taken from his wallet and an internal CCTV camera had been stolen.

A 33-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident on Friday, April 28, after Wiltshire Police’s Fortitude Team travelled to Birmingham to follow up on evidence secured by responding officers.

He has since been released on conditional bail and will appear before Swindon Magistrates' Court on June 29.

Detective Sergeant Darren Penny said: “This was a despicable crime against a vulnerable member of the public. The impact of burglary is not limited to loss of property but is also an invasion of privacy which can have a huge impact.

“Thanks to a prompt response by Fortitude officers, working closely with our Community Policing Team, we have been able to rapidly secure evidence, identify and arrest a suspect.

“Burglars should know that Wiltshire is no easy target.”

The force added that tackling burglary is a “key priority” and urged victims to report such crimes by calling 101 at the earliest opportunity.