A terrified pensioner said she “feared for her life” after a rogue trader barged into her home and demanded she write a cheque for more that £16,000.

Betty Williams, 78, said she eventually handed over £3,000 to the stranger because she thought “she would be murdered".

The frail widow is now frightened of living in her own home in case the conman – who pretended to be a builder – returns for more cash.

Mrs Williams, of Goldstone Crescent, Hove, said: "I got a phone call from a man saying he was coming round but he wouldn't say who he was.

"Fifteen minutes later there was a knock on the door.

"I put the chain on and opened it but he was leaning on the door and barged straight in."

The man – described as being in his 50s – marched into Mrs Williams's kitchen and made a cup of tea.

He then went into the garden and began inspecting the walls before returning indoors and demanding £16,150 to repair "cracks".

Mrs Williams, whose husband Denis died last year, said: "He came back in my house and sat in the lounge and told to give him the money to repair my walls.

"I told him I didn't have anywhere near that amount so and he replied, 'Well then, just make it £11,000'.

"I told him I had no money but he told me he would take £3,000 upfront. He stood over me and told me to get my cheque book out.

"I wrote the cheque because I feared he was going to kill me. It was the most frightening experience of my life."

Moments after she handed over the money, she grabbed the phone and called her son, who lives in New York.

The conman then screamed at her to put the phone down before running off with the cheque.

Police arrived shortly after the incident on Wednesday afternoon. Mrs Williams called the bank to cancel the cheque.

A Sussex Police spokesman said the incident was being investigated and urged residents to report anything suspicous to police.

He added: “Anyone with information should call Sussex Police on 0800 6070999, quoting serial 1383 of January 28.”