Pensioner Robbed Twice In A Week

Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses after a man in his early nineties was burgled twice in the same week in Grays.

At around 9:30pm on Saturday September 17, four suspects knocked on the door of a property in Moore Avenue, Grays. When the resident opened the door, they then pushed past him and stole a small amount of cash from inside. The suspects are described as four white men, aged between 40 and 60 years old.

At around 9pm on Friday September 23, two unidentified suspects gained entry to the same property, through a door, causing no damage. They confronted the man in his living room, and then stole cash. The suspects are described as a white man, aged between 21 and 40 years old, wearing a dark blue coat, dark trousers and shoes, and a white woman aged between 40 and 60 years old, wearing a hooded fleece with the hood drawn up.

Dc Scott Kingsnorth said: "These are callous crimes committed against an elderly man, in his early nineties. He is distressed by the incidents, but thankfully does not appear to have suffered any physical injuries. The man’s welfare is of paramount concern to us, and officers are working closely with his family and with our partners in Social Services.

"It is completely unacceptable for criminals to target some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, and Essex Police will be using all means at our disposal to identify those responsible for these heartless crimes and bring them to justice.

"I would ask anyone with information about these crimes, or who saw any suspicious behaviour during the times in question, to contact CID at Grays on 0300 3334444, by calling 101 within Essex, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”