Burglary death 'not suspicious'

Mr Bishop was found dead at his home

An elderly man who collapsed halfway through a phone call to police while telling them he had disturbed a burglar at his south Wales valleys home died of natural causes, police have confirmed.

Initially, the death of Robert John (Bob) Bishop, 75, was treated as suspicious by the police.

He was ringing from his house in Treherbert, Rhondda, and had started to tell police he had found a man burgling his home.

Mr Bishop was dead by the time officers arrived at his home following the phone call.

Detectives have said they are looking for two men with Irish accents seen acting suspiciously near the house on Monday pretending to lay sewerage pipes.

The men later made off in a dark coloured car.

They're rotten swine is all I can say

Bryn Owen

A Home Office post mortem was carried out to determine the exact cause of Mr Bishop's death.

Scenes of crimes officers carried out forensic tests at Mr Bishop's home following the burglary.

Mr Bishop, who had a heart condition, had found a man in his kitchen and had ordered him to leave.

Next-door neighbour Neil Sheridan had gone to help the pensioner after noticing the two men hanging around earlier.

He said he spoke to Mr Bishop who told him he had made the man leave and was about to phone the police as Mr Sheridan returned to his house.

"I went upstairs to change for work and before I finished changing, there was a policeman knocking at the door.

"He wanted to go around the back. We went around and I said 'I think he's alright', because I'd only just spoken to him.

It's tragic that such a vulnerable, elderly old man was subjected to this ordeal in his own home

Chief Inspector Paul Kennedy

"We went in the house and they found him as he was [when] speaking on the phone.

"It must have been the shock when he was explaining on the phone what happened."

Police have set up an incident room at Ton Pentre station and are warning the public to stay alert.

Chief Inspector Paul Kennedy said: "It's tragic that such a vulnerable, elderly old man was subjected to this ordeal in his own home."

A near neighbour of Mr Bishop's, Bryn Owen, was also targeted by burglars just a few weeks ago.

Two men pretending to be water board officials came to his home and stole property from him.

Officers have warned the public to be vigilant

He told BBC Wales: "They took everything. They took my pension book, everything I had.

"They're rotten swine is all I can say."

Now elderly people in the community are frightened they could also be targets.

Homecare worker Hannah Knowles said: "All day, I have just told them all not to open the doors to anybody, even if it is the real gas man or the real electric man, and we'll read the meters for them.

"But the thing is then they are like prisoners in their own homes."

Police are investigating whether the incident could be linked to similar burglaries in Ebbw Vale, Abertillery, Merthyr and Neath.

In Dowlais, two men stole several hundred pounds after burgling the home of an 89-year-old man.

The incident happened just a few hours before the one at Mr Bishop's home.

The two men were seen in a dark coloured Volkswagen Passat wanted by the police.

Police have urged elderly people to ask for identification from anybody calling at their house.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 01443 743 828 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.