Battling 83-year-old fights off con-men

A PARTIALLY sighted pensioner hit two burglars with her walking stick when they tried to rob her at her home in Alt.

The 83-year-old victim was leaving her house in Abbeyhills Road at 2.30pm on Wednesday, November 10 when a man approached her outside her front door and claimed there had been a gas explosion in the area and that he needed to turn off her gas.

He entered the house with the woman behind him and went down to the cellar.

She became suspicious and asked the man to leave, shoving him back up the stairs with her stick. She then noticed that the front door had been left ajar and that the man had let in an accomplice.

The woman found him as he was searching rooms upstairs.

She hit the second man with her walking stick, ripping his clothes in the process, and ordered both of them to leave. The raiders fled with only a small amount of cash.

Both men were white and in their 30s. The first was of slim build with dark hair and wore denim jeans and a dark top. He was about 5ft tall.

His accomplice was broader, in his 30s and wore dark clothing.

PC Jenna Linaker said: “This was a horrific experience for the victim, who was targeted by two men who took advantage of her vulnerabilities.

“When she became suspicious she put up a fight and luckily the pair eventually left.

“We would appeal to anyone who may have seen men matching this description in the area at the time.

“Someone may remember seeing the second suspect with his clothing ripped.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161-856 9577 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555 111.