A BLIND man, who lost nearly his entire life's savings to a crook posing as a social security official, today pleaded to fellow pensioners: "Don't make the same mistake."

Fred, a frail 88-year-old who uses a white stick, was tricked out of £695 in cash when he let the smooth-talking conman into his Moulsecoomb home.

Police have branded the crime "despicable" and saidthe thief cynically picked out the former chimney sweep because he was an easy target.

There have been at least six other offences of the same nature in Brighton in the last three weeks.

Fred, who is afraid to be identified for fear of recrimination, said: "He must go wherever it's easiest to get money. People like that don't care who they hurt as long as they get what they are after.

"I learned that lesson good and proper. Now nobody gets in unless they have got an ID card."

Fred shares a house with his 85-year-old sister-in-law, and they were about to sit down to their dial-a-lunch meal when the conman rang the bell.

He said: "There was this chap outside who said he was from social services and was checking if the dial-a-lunch service was alright. I asked him in.

"After about 15 minutes he asked to use the toilet."

"He went upstairs and I followed him up. He seemed quite interested in the ceiling, which is flaking badly. He said he would try to get it fixed for me."

"The shower hose is leaking and I told him about that. He told me to go downstairs and turn on the cold water. Then he came downstairs and told us to carry on with our meal.

"He said he would make a few notes and come back on Monday to fix the shower."

Later, the 88-year-old discovered nearly his entire life's savings was missing from where he had hidden it in his bedroom.

DI John May said: "Anybody who targets elderly, partially-sighted people is despicable. People from the water, electricity board or social services do carry ID cards and you should always ask to see it."

*A 95-year-old woman was also robbed of her £700 life savings when two men, aged 20 and 30, called at her warden-assisted flat in Green Street, Eastbourne, posing as water board officials.

One of them talked his way in and said he had to carry out work on her kitchen radiator. She later discovered the money was missing.

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