Ask most people what they despise the most in relation to the world of criminality and most will tell you that people who break into other peoples homes, aka burglars, in order to steal their belongings really are amongst the lowest of the low.
The feeling that burglary victims have of being violated, having found out that a stranger has gone through their personal belongings and has taken items which they have worked hard for, is impossible to describe.
I know that feeling personally, not only because of the vast amount of burglary reports which I had to take during my time in the Metropolitan Police, but also because I too have been the victim of a burglary.
Unfortunately, burglaries are not that uncommon and we aren’t sharing this story merely because there has been a burglary.
But what is uncommon, is the fact that in this case some burglars decided to steal the ashes of an elderly lady’s dead husband.
It’s a new low when it comes to burglars sifting through your belongs whilst deciding which items to take from you.
A statement on the Met Police website said:
‘Detectives are appealing for the public’s help in identifying two men after the ashes of an elderly woman’s husband were stolen in a burglary in Greenwich.
On Friday, 14 September at about 14:00hrs, a man knocked at the front door of an address in Annandale Road, SE10 and said he was a private plumber and claimed he needed to check a leak coming from the property.
The victim, an 83-year-old woman, allowed the man to investigate the leak.
He spent a short time in the property, including the kitchen and rear bedroom, and then left the address.
After he had gone, the victim discovered that numerous items had been stolen including three gold chains, a wedding ring, a silver band with a blue sapphire stone, £50 in cash, a bank card, Marks and Spencers vouchers and Debenhams vouchers.
A heart-shaped silver locket and a heart-shaped box, that both contained her husband’s ashes, were also missing. It is suspected that another man entered the property while the victim was distracted.
Two images are being released of men police would like to speak to as part of the investigation into the burglary.’
Detective Constable Robert Costigan, the officer in the case, said:
“This is a particularly harrowing crime that targeted a vulnerable member of our society.
“The victim had possessions stolen that are irreplaceable and this has had a devastating effect upon her.
“I ask any person with information about the identity of these two men, or any information about the burglary, to come forward and contact police”.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD4297/14SEP or Tweet @MetCC.
Written by one of the many admins of Emergency Services Humour who is also a regular blogger in our fortnightly eMagazine ’S__ts & Giggles’ which you can sign up to by visiting our Facebook page and clicking on the ‘sign up’ button or by visiting: ShitsAndGiggles.Online
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