'It is just horrible' - Shropshire OAP's home burgled while she lay dying
A former Shropshire pub landlady's home was burgled as she lay dying in a hospice.
The family of Audrey Elcock today spoke of their anguish after discovering the empty house had been broken into.
The pensioner, from Claverley, died in a hospice on Wednesday last week.
When her niece went to her bungalow to clear her fridge, she realised the house had been broken into while it was unoccupied.
Jennifer Cartwright, from Ditton Priors, said: "I'm just glad she doesn't have to face it now as we thought she may have come home. It is just horrible. We went to just empty the fridge the morning after she died and noticed that it'd been broken into.
"Because of not living there myself, I don't know if anything had been taken.
"An old telly which is probably worth nothing was taken, but she was wearing the main rings that I knew she had when she was in the hospice.
"From what the neighbours had said it looks like it was burgled the day she died, as one of the neighbours noticed her curtains were closed on Wednesday and they were always left open."
The 83-year old widow started her life in Bridgnorth before moving to Claverley and working at NatWest.
Mrs Elcock owned and ran the Kings Arms pub in Claverley for a number of years with her husband before he died.
She had been in Compton Hospice in Wolverhampton since February 3.
PC Jane Cowan said: "The lone occupier of the property passed away on February 8, having been in a hospice since February 3, leaving the property empty.
"Between 9pm on February 3 and 10.07am on February 9 persons unknown have accessed the property through the rear of the dwelling and property has been taken.
"It's believed they exited through the same method.
"If anyone is anticipating leaving their home unattended, or that or a relative is going to be empty or some time, it's always advised to at least have a light timer left in there and if you have a neighbour checking the property, ask them to draw the curtains in the evening."
If anyone has any information which may help police with their inquiries call 101 and quote reference 134s of February 9.
