The daughter of one of the many elderly burglary victims targeted in the Spalding area over the past fortnight says her mother will not feel comfortable using a key safe again.
Many of those targeted have been burgled using keys kept in coded boxes on the outside of the property, which enable access for trusted people.
The daughter (who we will refer to as Mrs L to protect her mother’s identity) said the key safe had been ripped from the wall. Mrs L wondered if the boxes were being taken away to get into them before the offender(s) were returning with the key.
She said: “I don’t think we will put a key box back up after this. I don’t think my mother would feel safe. We’ll give a key to a neighbour instead.”
The 81-year-old was burgled as she slept overnight last Friday (May 26). When she awoke she found her outside door wide open, which puzzled her but there was no other visible sign of anything untoward. It was only later when she could not find her iPad that she realised what had happened.
Mrs L said: “It happened while she was sleeping.
“When she got up on Saturday morning and the door was open she was disorientated and wondered what was going on. She thinks she may have turned in the night and possibly disturbed them because it looks like they left in a hurry. They even left the key at the property.
“She was emotionally shaken up but I’m just relieved she wasn’t physically harmed because you don’t know how these people are going to react if they are disturbed or confronted.
“Her neighbours have been fantastic, popping round to check on her and offering to stay the night with her.”
Mrs L believes properties may have been checked out by the burglar(s), possibly under the ruse of leaflet dropping or making deliveries because her mother’s key safe was well hidden and could not be seen from the road.
She added: “I think they have definitely been casing places. A burglary of any property is bad but I think it’s particularly terrible when these people target the elderly or vulnerable, the least defensible. Those responsible are real lowlifes, despicable.
“Their victims are people who have worked hard all their lives and are just trying to get on with their life in retirement. I’m just hoping it doesn’t affect my mum so badly that she doesn’t want to live on her own and independently anymore.”
Police investigating the spree of 12 burglaries and attempted burglaries in Spalding, Pinchbeck, Cowbit and Moulton Chapel executed a search warrant on a house in Halmer Gate in Spalding on Thursday (June 1). No arrests have been made.
