Pensioner is praised for foiling conmen

In two incidents, cash was stolen after thieves broke into the homes of pensioners during the night.

On Wednesday last week, an elderly resident of Estcourt Villas had £200 cash stolen by a woman who entered the house at about 10pm and ransacked the upstairs rooms while the owner was sitting in the lounge.

In a similar incident, an 85-year-old woman from Hillworth Gardens had about £200 cash stolen when an intruder broke into her bedroom in the early hours of Friday.

After an untidy search, the burglar made off with a handbag containing the cash.

In a third incident, an elderly woman scared off bogus callers and she was praised by police for her vigilance.

The 76-year-old householder was targeted by a conman claiming to be a gas board worker. He called at her home in Sedgefield Gardens, Devizes, saying he was carrying out work in the area.

She opened her door and the man told her he needed her to remove items from under the sink. When she said he would have to do it as she had a bad back he refused, saying his insurance did not cover him.

The householder became suspicious and went to her bedroom to press her Lifeline button.

As she did so she became aware of a second man following her into the bedroom. As she pressed her Lifeline button both men ran from the house empty handed.

The first man man is described as about 25, white, about 5ft-in tall, with short, cropped fair hair and wearing blue jeans and dark coloured top.

The incident happened at 11am on May 24. Police are not ruling out a connection with a similar incident in High Street, Great Cheverell, at noon on the same day when conmen stole £368 from an 80-year-old man.

DC Jon Lee of Devizes CID said the woman did well to get the men out of her home. He said: "Having realised that something was not quite right she challenged the main offender ensuring that they both left."

People with any information about these incidents should call Devizes police on (01380) 722141 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.