'TIME TO GET TOUGH ON CRIMINALS'
A DISABLED pensioner has been left shaken and shocked after callous thieves targeted her Donacloney home.
The lady is the fourth elderly woman in the district to become the victim of theft in recent months.
And like the other victims the local pensioner didn't lose a lot in monetary terms but the cowardly attack has caused her considerable distress.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, told the Leader that she woke up last Sunday morning to find that a number of plant pots – which were a gift – had been stolen from her front door of her home.
She said that she has been left feeling "unsafe and shocked" by the incident. "They were two lovely potted evergreen trees that were snatched from my home. They were given to me and they were of great sentimental value," the woman explained.
Banbridge councillor Jim McElroy is furious that another vulnerable member of our society has been targeted by lowlife criminals.
"This is the fourth incident concerning OAP's this year which is just outrageous," said Mr McElroy.
"The police need to get a proper grip on this before pensioners begin to feel unsafe in their own homes.
"And when people are caught and put before the courts they need to be given tough sentences so other criminals will think twice."
In a worrying trend, the pensioner is the latest in the district to be targeted by thieves.
In January, an 83-year-old woman was robbed of her handbag by a man in the grounds of a Loughbrickland church.
Earlier in the year, two elderly sisters, aged 87 and 73, were attacked in their Banbridge home by a gang of masked men demanding just 20.
The Donacloney pensioner says that she now feels less secure in her home and added that she didn't contact the police about the incident. "I didn't see much point in phoning them. Although, I do want to see my plant pots returned."
Alison Beattie, community safety officer at the Banbridge District Community Safety Partnership, said elderly residents in the district concerned about their personal security, could be referred to a scheme designed to improve safety in the home.
"The scheme is called Banbridge Secure and an assessment is carried out in their home which enables them to improve window fittings and locks. It's been running for the past 10-months and so far around 70 residents have availed of the service," she explained.
participants
She added that many participants in the scheme had found it to be very beneficial. "Anyone who feels at risk or has been the victim of crime in their home, can contact the safety partnership about Banbridge Secure."
For further information, contact the Banbridge District Community Partnership on 028 40 660609.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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