A CALLOUS crook was foiled by an 83-year-old woman who chased him from her home and down the street before being helped by three have-ago heroes.

“I know I am getting on a bit,” said former store detective Betty Thornton last night. “But I’m still a good runner.”

Mrs Thornton found herself confronted by prolific thief Michael Hall in her home in the Whinfield area of Darlington, in November last year.

Hall, who had tricked his way into her home when her husband, Ray, 87, had gone to play bowls with friends, pretended it was an emergency and he needed to use her phone.

But, as Mrs Thornton went to help him, he exploited her good nature by following her inside her home and helping himself to CDs and other items that were on the sofa.

“When I looked around he was right behind me. I thought ‘what on earth is he going to do to me?’ “It was such a shock,” she said. “It came automatically, to run after him.

“Some people would have stood crying. But I was thinking ‘he’s got my bag, it’s got all my things in’.”

After chasing him along the street, Mrs Thornton, who patrolled the floors of Bhs in her role as store detective 25 years ago, spotted a group of youths.

“We ran up the road and there were three lads. They were so nice, they asked ‘everything alright Missus?’.

“I said that he had stolen my bag and they just said they would get him.

“They ran on ahead and, when I saw them get hold of him, I went home to call the police.”

Hall was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to burglary at Teesside Crown Court on Friday.

The court was told that when police arrived, the three youngsters were trading blows with Hall.

After arresting the 34-yearold, of Cobden Street, Darlington, it emerged that the one-time heroin addict had a lengthy record, with 49 offences on file, including a one-man crime spree in the West End of Darlington, for which he was jailed in January 2009.

He had been out of prison for only five weeks when he called at Mrs Thornton’s home.

David Lamb, mitigating, asked the judge Recorder Timothy Stead to give Hall credit for pleading guilty to the offence at an early stage in proceedings.

But Mr Recorder Stead said that Hall was an accomplished burglar who would have to go back to jail.

Mrs Thornton said she was happy that Hall was back behind bars, but said his actions would live with her and her husband for the rest of their lives. Mr Thornton has stopped playing bowls every week because he does not want to leave his wife alone.

“I used to trust everyone – always,” said Mrs Thornton, who is trying to trace the youths who came to her aid.

She said she had received assurances from the police that the youngsters would not be punished over their involvement.

“I wish I could find them. I just want to thank them,” she said.

􀁧 Were you one of the young people who helped Mrs Thornton?

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