Violent East Sussex gang targeting elderly at home (From The Argus)

Violent East Sussex gang targeting elderly at home

11:34am Tuesday 17th November 2009

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The same gang may be responsible for two violent raids on elderly people at their homes in East Sussex.

In one attack an elderly man was beaten with a clawhammer by men who stole guns from his house; in the other thousands of pounds in cash were taken from a couple in an early-morning raid.

Detectives say both homes were targeted by criminals who expected to find large amounts of cash.

Detective Inspector Neil Ralph is leading the enquiry from Uckfield Police Station.

He said: "These are two very serious incidents. I am linking them due to a number of common factors including the type of people targeted and the methods used by the offenders.

"We believe the offenders targeted the two addresses in expectation of finding substantial amounts of cash.

"Incidents such as these are rare, they were not random attacks. There is no need for the public at large to be alarmed."

The most recent attack happened in Hadlow Down, near Crowborough, at about 6pm on Friday 6 November.

Two men entered a house in Wilderness Lane.

They attacked the elderly retired couple and demanded money.

During what police described as a sustained attack, William Skipper, 77, was hit several times with a blue handled clawhammer.

The couple suffered significant cuts and bruises and both were taken for treatment at the Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells.

The first man was described as about 6ft and broadly built.

He was wearing a dark hooded jacket and a mask.

The jacket is described as stripped with faded green and black stripes.

The mask is described as being similar to a ‘black and white minstrels’ mask but it could have been a Halloween one.

At one point the mask was removed and Mr Skipper saw the offender's face.

He was white, clean shaven, in his mid thirties with light coloured short hair.

The second man was about 5ft 8in, slimmer, wearing a woollen beanie hat with a scarf across his face.

He wore a dark coloured half or three quarter length coat, dark trousers and dark shoes.

They stole the couple's Ford Focus and took more than £1000 cash, several shotguns, a deactivated revolver, credit cards and some jewellery.

All the guns were legally owned.

The car was found abandoned nearby at the A272 junction with School Lane in Hadlow Down.

Police believe the men may have discarded clothing or other items close to the scene of the crime.

DI Ralph praised Mr Skinner for his resistance to the raiders.

He said: "Mr Skipper’s actions were commendable.

"He defended himself very bravely and was only overpowered when one of the offenders resorted to striking his knee hard with the hammer.

"To target an elderly couple in this manner is deplorable and cowardly.’ "I have no doubt that someone knows who is responsible for these attacks. The mask, the claw hammer and some of the clothing are very distinctive.

"The man who attacked Mr Skipper would have had injuries to one of his hands and possibly to his face."

The raid followed a crime in Nutley, near Uckfield, where three men attacked a couple in their 70s at their home on Friday 25 September.

The attack took place in Cackle Street just off the A22 shortly before 6am.

The man was attacked outside as he getting ready to go to work as a market trader.

The attackers went inside and threatened his wife.

The raiders took a bag containing several thousand pounds in cash.

One of the suspects was described as more than 6ft, well built, wearing a balaclava.

The other two were shorter and wore overalls.

All three wore woollen gloves.

Police are trying to trace a Nissan Sunny, registration M179AUF, which was stolen from nearby Fletching overnight and at 6.30am on the Friday morning was set alight in a field at Down Street, Nutley, close to the scene of the raid.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "Anyone who may have seen this car driving around during the night and early hours of Thursday to Friday September 24 to 25, and anyone who was in the Nutley area who may have seen any people or vehicles acting suspiciously at around the time the burning car was found, is asked to contact police.

"Police want to establish who stole this car, who set it alight and where they went following the offence."

A police spokesman said: "Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the vicinity of the attacks at Hadlow Down or at Nutley, or who has any other information about them, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, is asked contact Sussex Police at Uckfield or Hailsham."

To contact detectives call 0845 6070999, quoting Operation Westdown, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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