Bogus callers stole £200 from Edith Meijer

The 77-year-old, from Haringey in London, was relaxing at home one Saturday evening a few months ago when there was a knock at her door.

She says: "I had just got up from an afternoon nap when the doorbell went.

"Through the intercom a man said that he was the engineer needing to check my water and electricity.

"Since the council had been doing work outside my block, I believed him and let him in."

Noise

The man then told Ms Meijer that he needed to have a look in the kitchen.

She says: "He made a lot of a noise as he removed the bottles from the cupboard under my sink.

"When I asked him to put the bottles back, he agreed but said that since he'd have to come back the next day he'd go to his car and get a box to store them in.

When he still hadn't come back after about six minutes, I started to feel uneasy and called the police Edith Meijer

"When he still hadn't come back after about six minutes, I started to feel uneasy and called the police.

"Then I noticed muddy foot prints leading to my bedroom and realised that while he had been making all the noise with the bottles in the kitchen, his accomplice had entered the flat.

"I immediately checked to see if my jewellery had been taken but luckily he hadn't found it."

It was only later she discovered £200 had been stolen from her purse.

She was given support and advice by a police and now says she is much more cautious.

"I'm very much on my guard now but thankfully I've more or less forgotten about the burglar. I actually think he could make a better career on stage."