LEWES POLICE WARN ELDERLY TO BE AWARE OF CONMEN

And police are warning vulnerable householders to be on their guard.

In the first incident, on May 27, a young woman knocked on the door of a St Johns Terrace home and asked an elderly woman for a pencil and paper in order to leave a message for a friend next door .

She followed the woman into the house and kept her talking while a male accomplice went into another room and stole 30 in coins.

He then removed a wallet from a jacket. This woke the householder s elderly husband, who had been sleeping.

The offender then said: You haven t got much. You had better keep hold of it, and ran out of the house with his accomplice.

The young woman is described as about 18, wearing light-coloured clothes, with a round face, and also wearing a round-brimmed hat which covered her hair.

The man was about 20, with dark hair and wearing a dark suit.

In the second incident, on Friday morning, a man called at a house in Montacute Road and introduced himself as a furniture repairer.

He walked in when the elderly woman occupant opened the door and took an antique grandfather clock, valued at 2,000, telling her he would repair it.

He gave no name or address but left the woman with 100.

Published: 7.6.01 T R Beckett Ltd