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An Edinburgh pensioner has been left shaken after her purse and watch were allegedly pinched by a woman she invited into her home on her birthday.
The 80-year-old resident, who lives on Restalrig Road South, noticed the woman sitting on the stairs outside her flat wrapped in blankets on Sunday night, September 1.
According to the resident, the woman was visibly cold and told her she lost the key to her nearby flat. The elderly woman invited the stranger into her home for a cup of tea and said she could stay the night.
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On Monday, September 2, the resident noticed her purse was missing as the woman was leaving her home. She claims she witnessed the woman fleeing the scene and jumping on a bus which was allegedly paid for using her stolen card.
Police were made aware of the alleged theft on Monday night and attended the property to carry out inquiries which are currently ongoing. However, the resident has been left shaken by the incident which took place on her 80th birthday.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live on Tuesday, the OAP said: “My cat always goes out and in so I went to check on him and noticed the woman sitting at the bottom of the stair and the door was shut.
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“I usually keep it open so my cat can get in and out so when I checked again later that night she was still there and told me she was awfully cold. She had blankets over her and was about middle aged.
“I didn’t recognise her and she told me she had seen me before. She said she stayed across the road but lost her key. I stupidly invited her in gave her a cup of tea. I shouldn’t have but I told her she could sit and stay until morning.
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“It was around midnight so I couldn’t send her back out. We spoke for a while and she was here all morning. When she left in the morning I thought I should check my bag and my purse and watch were missing. I went out onto the road and saw her get on the bus.”
The resident called the police after noticing the horrifying discovery and says officers came out quickly before she called her bank and cancelled her cards. Fortunately, no sentimental items were taken apart from cash in the woman’s purse.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.15am on Monday, 2 September, we received a report of a theft from a property on Restalrig Road South, Edinburgh, which had happened overnight. Enquiries are ongoing.”
