Last updated at 16:38, Tuesday, 11 December 2012

DETECTIVES have issued a fresh appeal in the hunt for a sneak-in burglarwho targeted an 88-year-old woman on Walney.

The intruder entered the frail pensioner’s property, in Bristol Street, at around 2pm on Tuesday November 27, possibly while she was in the kitchen having a hair cut.

After showing the hairdresser out of the property, the woman found a man in her bedroom, who claimed to have been in the house mistakenly and left.

The victim told the Evening Mail the day after the incident: “I only slept an hour last night, I kept seeing him standing there, and today I’ve been constantly checking that the doors are locked.

“I have lived here for 64 years and I have never had anything like this before.

“I’m lucky really that he left and didn’t turn violent.”

Cumbria police say they have received numerous calls about the break-in.

The man is described as white, aged in his 30s, of a medium build, with short, dark, bushy-style hair.

He was described as clean shaven, and was seen wearing loose black clothing and carrying a luminous yellow notepad.

Detective Sergeant John Dilks, who is leading the investigation, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has contacted us already to help us trace the man who preyed on this elderly lady.

“We have received numerous calls from concerned residents with information and potential sightings which has resulted in us pursuing a number of lines of enquiry.

“However, we are sure that there is more information out there.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who has any information about activity in the area of Bristol Street on or around the afternoon of Tuesday November 27.

“It is likely that the criminal we are looking for called on more than the one resident in the Bristol Street area and we are re-appealing to local residents to think back to try and jog their memories in case the description sounds familiar.

“Perhaps he wasn’t just in the area on the afternoon of November 27 – it is possible he was in the area in the days or weeks before.

“We have also had another possible sighting of a man matching the description in Black Butts Lane on the same afternoon as the burglary.

“Fortunately, there have not been any similar incidents reported to police since so we are still treating this as an isolated burglary.

“If you have information that you think could help police, no matter how small, please call Barrow CID on 101 or ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

First published at 16:23, Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk