AN Oswaldtwistle man who posed as a council repair man, and then stole money from an elderly woman, has been jailed for seven years.

John Roberts, 54, called at the 83-year-old’s Plungington Road home, in Preston, in April, and told the woman there had been a complaint about a loose slate on her roof. He told her he had been sent to fix it and it would cost £25, a reduced rate for pensioners.

Roberts, of Havelock Street, watched his victim take the money from her handbag and then, once she had left the room, he took around £200 from her purse.

He was later linked to the crime through his DNA.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court, Roberts pleaded guilty to burglary.

Inspector David Brown, from Preston Police, said: “Roberts preyed on an elderly woman who had lived on the street for over 50 years without being a victim of crime. She has been left very distressed.”