Woman, 85, finds home ransacked

Burglars ransacked the Telford home of an 85-year-old woman and fled with her savings while she was out shopping.

The pensioner returned from her shopping trip in Oakengates with her niece to discover burglars had targeted her home on Village Way in the town at 1pm yesterday.

Officers from the Specialist Operations Unit at Telford have launched an investigation. Police said the woman had left her home at 10am and within the next three hours, burglars forced open the patio doors at the back of the house.

The thieves searched the property, including drawers and cupboards in the woman's bedroom, before fleeing with £100 in cash.

Telford police spokesman Chris Ammonds said: "The victim is extremely upset by this burglary as the money stolen had been put aside to pay her rent and her council tax, and also contained around £40 in £1 coins she had saved to spend at bingo.

"The house itself sits on a fairly busy road and because the burglary took place during a three-hour period in daylight hours we believe that someone may well have seen the individuals responsible either before or after they carried out the theft."

He appealed for anyone with information about this burglary to contact Malinsgate Police Station on 0300 333 3000.