An "audacious" burglar broke into the house of a terminally ill 84-year-old before wrenching a box containing £2,000 from her hands.

Doris Carter had been watching TV at home in Wauchope Road, Seasalter, just before 6pm on Sunday when she spotted a light on in her bedroom.

Certain she had turned it off, the grandmother - who is "very deaf" and walks with a stick - ventured into the room to find a stranger rifling through her belongings.

But Mrs Carter, who also has terminal ovarian cancer, was "shocked" when the man calmly continued.

Her daughter Linda Raymer said: "Her jewellery box was all emptied on the bed, and he had hold of her purse. He was pulling notes out and left the change.

"He had been in the room my father used to sleep in, and had looked through his wallet. My father died in 2003.

"Mum said the man remained so calm. He was chatting to her while he went round. She said he was quite smartly dressed, in an expensive-looking dark leather jacket.

"She tried calling out for help but nobody heard her.

"She asked how he got in and he pointed to the front door and said he'd been pounding and hammering on the front door for her to open it. But she's deaf, so she hadn't heard."

The intruder had smashed into a combination key safe outside, before unlocking the front door and forcing through a chain Mrs Carter used for extra security.

After ransacking her bedroom, he turned around and walked out.

"Mum followed him but instead of shutting the front door, she went back into the bedroom where her security box is hidden," explained Mrs Raymer. "It contains cash and important documents and she wanted to see if it was still there."

But the intruder suddenly reappeared behind Mrs Carter.

"He'd come back to see what she was doing," said her daughter. "She had hold of this box, but he took it off her. She struggled and tried to grab it back off of him but obviously she wasn't strong enough."

A short while later, Mrs Raymer received a call from her mum, who was "very distressed and crying", and unsure whether the man was still in the house.

He had disappeared with her cash box, containing more than £2,000; along with money from her purse, and jewellery of great sentimental value. The cash box has now been found with the documents still inside, but the money had been taken.

Mrs Carter's neighbour was also targeted the same evening, with the burglar reportedly stealing jewellery belonging to his victim's late wife.

"It's a wicked thing to do to an elderly person..."

Mrs Carter was not hurt in the incident, but has been left shaken and worried about returning home.

Mrs Raymer said: "She's very angry with herself - she keeps crying. She's quite poorly - she has ovarian cancer and has just finished her second round of chemotherapy.

"She's feeling quite vulnerable. I think the shock is beginning to sink in. She wants to go back home but obviously she's quite frightened.

"I just feel extremely angry that somebody could do this."

Her sister, Jacqui Kidson, added: "They must have known it was one elderly person living there. It's just so cowardly to go into someone's house and steal from a vulnerable person.

"It must have been really frightening, and to hear my mum crying - it makes me feel so angry. The audacity of someone that just thinks they can go through somebody's things.

"It's not as if she's living in a palace - it's a bungalow.

"It's a wicked thing to do to an elderly person."

Police are investigating.

Spokesman Richard Spillett said: "Cash and documents were reported stolen after the victim found a suspect in her home and he fled the scene.

"At 9.50pm on the same day, a second burglary was reported in the street in which cash had been stolen from another property."

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