February 20, 2020 9.25 am This story is over 49 months old

Police arrest suspected Ermine scammer, fought off by 102-year-old

Police arrested a 47-year-old man
John, pictured with his wife Joan, suffered cuts and bruising in the incident. Photo: BBC

Police have made an arrest after a 102-year-old Lincoln man fought off an intruder who tried to force their way into his home.

Lincolnshire Police arrested a 47-year-old man, who is also from Lincoln, on Wednesday evening.

He is suspected of carrying out two burglaries and a shop theft.

The man is also believed to have targeted a woman in her 90s on the same estate just an hour before.

Both burglaries happened in the Ermine area of Lincoln on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 18.

At just after 1pm a man pushed his way past the occupant of a house on Laughton Way, a disabled woman in her 90s, before stealing cash and bank cards.

Then, at around 1.45pm, a man told the occupant of a house on Woodhall Drive that he was there to check the lights.

The occupant, a man aged 102, realised this was a scam and refused entry, but the offender pushed past him into the house.

The victim, later identified as ‘John’ in a BBC feature, managed to push the offender out of the house and nothing was taken.

John was taken to hospital with extensive bruising and cuts.

He told the BBC it was the second attack on the home he shares with wife Joan, 97, in six months. They warned others about the risks of opening the door to strangers.

Chief Inspector Phil Baker said: “These two incidents are clearly concerning because they involve elderly and vulnerable victims.

“In both incidents the offender has used force to push past the occupants and, in one case, stolen cash.

“Any information relating to these incidents is important, so I would please ask anyone who can help our investigations to contact us.

“I’d also appeal for those who have elderly neighbours to regularly look out for them and check that they are okay.”