Police are appealing for information after an elderly woman had her purse snatched from her home in Scale Hall, Lancaster.
Around 3.00pm on Wednesday 16th April, a man approached the house on Cleveleys Avenue, and has knocked on the front door. The 81-year-old female victim, did not answer the door, but did try to get a view of the man through the window of her front room. While she did this, the offender went to the rear of the house and entered the kitchen via the back door. He then removed the victim’s purse from her handbag before leaving and walking back down the driveway onto the street.
The victim discovered her purse, which contained money, a number of debit and credit cards and a key, was missing around ninety minutes later.
Sadly, the victim was then taken ill two days later on Friday 18th April and passed away later that day.
The offender is described as a white man of slim build and around 175 cm tall. He has short, dark brown hair and, at the time of the offence, was clean-shaven and was wearing a dark grey sweater and dark trousers. The offender was also seen to drive away in a white van.
DI Simon Dent of Lancaster CID said; “This is a tragic case where the victim has then passed away a couple of days later.
“We would appeal for any information anyone may have regarding the burglary, the man the victim described or the vehicle she described he had driven off in.
“Although the victim has described a white van, we are keeping an open mind to any visiting vehicles that were on Cleveleys Avenue at the time, and would welcome any information people may have that could help us catch this man.”
Anyone with information can contact Lancaster Police, quoting log number LC-20140416-0911