Samaritan condemns burglar of woman, 99 as ‘scum’

Scarborough Borough Councillor William Chatt chased the thief after he spotted the man acting suspiciously outside the elderly woman’s house while out walking his dog on Barrowcliff Road, at 6.30am yesterday.

She was the second pensioner to be targeted in her home that day following an incident in the town just two hours earlier when a 78-year-old man woke-up to find an intruder in his room.

Coun Chatt said: “I noticed a man stood at the lady’s door and I shouted across to him “What are you doing over there?” and he replied it was nothing to do with me. By then he was walking down the road and I could see he was wearing dark clothing and I also noticed he was wearing gloves.

“I told him to stay there and I ran towards him. He turned around and ran into the back garden and climbed over a six-foot fence. “Unfortunately I’m no Linford Christie so I couldn’t chase him. When I checked the lady’s house I noticed the room had been completely trashed and there was stuff all over the floor – personal possessions were strewn everywhere. I just wish I had grabbed hold of him.”

Coun Chatt, who has lived across the road from the pensioner for 27 years, said he was glad he had scared off the thief as he feared the woman could have been assaulted in her own home.

“There are certain times when you need to step forward and this is it. My big concern is she’s a vulnerable lady in there by herself. I think he had been in her house and come out when she heard him as it looked as if he was stood talking to her when I spotted him.

“What could have happened if I hadn’t scared him away just doesn’t bear thinking about as you read about elderly people being attacked when their houses are broken into. As far as I’m concerned these people are the scum of the Earth. She’s very frail and I was absolutely heartbroken for her. She has lived there for all these years and her home has been violated by this atrocity.”

At about 5am the same morning, a 78-year-old man scared away an intruder from his home on Gildercliffe. He shouted at him to “get out” after he was woken up by the burglar.

Scarborough Police has carried out extensive inquiries at the two scenes and also in and around the local area. It is still unclear whether anything was stolen from the pensioners’ houses.

Detectives are linking the incidents and have urged residents to be on their guard.

Detective constable Andy Hall, from Scarborough CID, said: “It takes a despicable person to target elderly and vulnerable people in this way. “It is an awful experience for the victims to find someone intruding in their home in this manner and it takes a long time for them to recover from their ordeal.

“We believe that these two incidents could be linked and I am appealing to the public to help us find out who is responsible.

“If you saw any suspicious activity this morning in the area the incidents took place, or can help identify the offender, please contact the police or Crimestoppers with information.”

The suspect who targeted the elderly woman has been described as white, 5ft 10in to 6ft, with a heavy build, weighing about 15 stone and short dark hair. He was wearing a dark top and gloves and spoke with a foreign accent.

Dc Hall can be contacted on 0845 606 0247