THIS WEEK IN 1983: Cruel conman took pensioner's savings

A '˜bogus' council official tricked his way into an elderly Portsmouth pensioner's home in Buckland '“ and walked out minutes later with her £600 worth of savings.

Armed with a pen and a notepad, the conman smooth-talked the 82-year-old victim into allowing him into her home, wrote The News crime reporter.

Police later repeated warnings to elderly people that they should never let strangers into their home under any circumstances.