PENSIONERS have become the latest victims of scrap metal thieves.

Residents at Showley Court complex off Ribchester Road, Clayton-le-Dale, were angry to find that two shopping trolleys they use to get groceries to their flats were ‘brazenly’ stolen from outside the premises.

Over the weekend, thieves also struck at Rossendale Museum in Rawtenstall, taking lead from its roof.

They are the latest in a spate of scrap metal thefts as looters cash in on its rocketing street value.

The rise in thefts, particularly in copper and lead, has led East Lancashire police to launch Operation Metal Mickey, to crack down on the problem.

Showley Court resident Lorna Cranshaw, 77, said: “We think it’s really low to steal from old people.

"We need the trolleys to get our shopping to our flats.

“We’ve only had them about 18 months and it took us a lot of begging from supermarkets to get them.”

The two trolleys, donated by Booths supermarket in Clitheroe, were stolen last week from outside Showley Court, which has 31 flats and bungalows.

Mrs Cranshaw, who has lived there for 15 years, said: “Two men in a white van just drove up, pushed the two trolleys into the van and drove off.

“It was so brazen, someone did see it happen but did not realise they were stealing them, they looked quite official.”

The residents have managed to get one donated trolley from Tesco’s, but need another.

“We need two, as there’s a lot of us,” said Mrs Cranshaw.

“The trolleys were left under the arches at the front, and when you came back in the taxi or car from the shops, we could put our bags in there and push them to our flats.

“Without them we’re stuck because we can’t carry the bags.

“We’re all old here, some residents are over 90, and to steal from us is very low, but people like that don’t care.”

Operation Metal Mickey, a joint effort by Eastern and Pennine police, focuses on criminals using road networks and scrap dealing merchants to sell on the materials.

The operation, running until October, will see specialist off-icers working with Customs and Excise, as well as neigh-bourhood police visiting vul-nerable locations to offer reassurance and crime prevention advice.

Supermarket trolleys are usually made from steel and cost between £45 and £150 each.