A FRAIL 103-year-old woman has helped catch the sneak thief who stole £100 from her purse.

The police went back to see the pensioner after the cowardly theft by 20-year-old John Anthony Fothergill on March 21.

As they were talking to her to glean more information on the culprit, the sharp-eyed pensioner looked out of the window and spotted Fothergill in the street. The officers promptly arrested him.

When he appeared in court this week, Fothergill admitted stealing the money from the woman's purse after offering to clean the windows of her home in the east of Darlington.

Detective Sergeant Alec Francis said: "In this case we had luck on our side, but if it wasn't for the process of going back and re-visiting all victims of burglaries that involve some kind of deception, he could still be out there."

Fothergill was remanded in custody for 30 days by Sedgefield magistrates to await sentencing at Teesside Crown Court.

The unnamed pensioner is one of a number of victims of an alarming trend in which crooks prey on the elderly and vulnerable.

Detectives have renewed warnings to householders not to let anyone into their homes without proof of identity. Det Sgt Francis said: "People must ask anyone who calls at their house for ID before letting them in. If they are at all concerned, they should contact the police.