WIDOW SLEEPS AS RAIDER STRIKES
A 94-year-old Hailsham widow slept soundly while a thief tiptoed into her bedroom and stole her jewellery box.
Police were 'shocked and horrified' when they heard this was the second time her Ersham Way home had been targeted.
Now she has lost even more priceless items of jewellery including her Christening brooch with the word 'baby' given to her in 1910, a single jet earring left as part of a legacy from a family member and a nine-carat gold ring set with four rubies and a pearl.
The woman's daughter, Evelyn Winter from Eastbourne told the Express her mother rang her on Friday morning to say the theft had taken place.
She reported it to police immediately.
She said: 'My mother is almost blind and deaf and she was sound asleep while this went on.
'She checked everything the night before but overslept a bit on Friday and thinks the thief got in early that morning.
'We think it is someone who knows her circumstances as this has happened before – someone took a purse from the kitchen not long ago.'
Her mother was devastated. Mrs Winter added: 'The jewellery is not valuable to anyone else but it is priceless and irreplaceable to her.'
Other items of jewellery and ornaments were also stolen from elsewhere in the house.
Mrs Winter said her mother was good at locking the house but may have unlocked the door to put rubbish out and failed to lock it again. 'Otherwise, she is very with it and independent and likes looking after herself,' she added.
Hailsham crime prevention officer Dave Smith said: 'Some crimes leave us speechless and this is one of them. We are shocked and horrified to hear that this elderly lady had been burgled in such a heartless way.
'We appeal to anyone, neighbours or friends, who might have seen anything suspicious during the morning on Friday.'
Call 0845 6070999.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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