A conman spent more than two years stealing an elderly woman's treasured family heirlooms one by one - and replacing them with worthless copies.

The thief, in his 60s, befriended her after mending some ornaments and offered to clean and fix other mementoes.

All the time he was visiting her and keeping her company he was fleecing the 84-year-old woman of her possessions.

His scam only came to light when the wealthy pensioner's family, who live abroad, decided to move her to a residential home and had the contents of her detached house in Horsham valued.

They were shocked to discover their value had plummeted from £175,000 in 1996 to just £10,000 and contacted the police.

Many of her antiques, including three paintings worth £30,000 and her engagement ring, worth at least £20,000, had been replaced with modern copies.

Detective Constable Clinton Novelle said: "This is a particularly callous and premeditated offence.

"A vulnerable elderly person has been systematically deprived of her memories over a period of time by a person who she had come to trust.

"She is very upset by what has happened and she actually feels quite vulnerable because she trusted this individual and she feels she has let herself and her family down by not realising she was being duped."

Antique cupboards, tables, ornaments and chests of drawers were all taken away by the con man for cleaning or mending but all were replaced by modern reproductions.

Mr Novelle said the woman, who is widowed, was particularly upset to have lost her paintings and engagement ring.

"He took away the pictures to be cleaned but rather than the original oil paintings he replaced them with laser copies.

"One is of a lady in a field, one is of a pug dog and the third is of a litter of pug dog puppies.

"If someone has purchased them I would like them to contact me because although the purchase may be legitimate we need to establish where they got them from and also if anyone can remember copying them."

Mr Novelle said the frames were also very valuable and the 18-carat engagement ring, white gold with a large green emerald and diamonds, was conservatively estimated at £18,000 to 20,000.

Anyone with information should contact Mr Novelle on 0845 6070999.