A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER had her life savings stolen by a bogus caller posing as a police officer.

Alice Barber, 81, of St Martin’s Road, Folkestone, has been left penniless after a thief tricked his way into her council home and stole £7,000.

Mrs Barber, a widow, was at home alone when the doorbell went at 8.40am on Friday.

She answered the door and a man wearing a dark suit flashed a badge and said he was a police officer.

The man was talking to Mrs Barber in the lounge about the security of her valuables before he went to the dining room to make a call on his mobile phone.

Minutes later the frail great-grandmother noticed he had gone and taken her handbag and purse containing her life savings.

Mrs Barber’s daughter, Maxine Lees, 45, said: "She kept that money near her at all times and even took it to bed with her - it was her life savings - her funeral expenses."

Mrs Barber, who is recovering from an operation to remove cancer from her back, has been shaken by the incident.

Mrs Lees added: "Thankfully she wasn’t harmed but I still can’t believe what happened. This man is a low-life and I hope he gets his come-uppance.

"To pretend to be a police officer to get into the house is just disgusting because people of my mother’s age are very trusting. This has really knocked her for six."

Det Con Nick Houghton said although these incidents are rare there has been a recent spate in Shepway.

He said: "We have had three similar incidents in the last week and I want to encourage people to ask to see identity and a real police officer would have no problem with this."

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact Kent Police on 01303 850055 or Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.