Attacks on elderly 'increasing'

Police believe two of the attacks in south Belfast may be linked

The number of attacks and robberies on the elderly in Northern Ireland is increasing, the police have said.

Five pensioners were left badly shaken after their homes were targeted in three separate incidents by gangs of men who forced their way into the houses.

The first incident took place in the Malone Road area of south Belfast at about 1915 GMT on Friday.

An 82-year-old man was confronted in the kitchen of his home by four masked men.

The man and his wife were then held by two of the intruders while the other two searched the house.

A short time later, three masked men confronted a 77-year-old man in the living room of his home, in the Beechlands area, also in the south of the city.

'Caught out'

The victim was grabbed and locked in the dining room, while the thieves searched the house.

The pensioner managed to raise the alarm after escaping fthrough a serving hatch in the wall.

Police believe the two incidents may be linked.

In the third attack, five men forced their way into the home of two sisters in the Greymount Estate area of Greencastle, north Belfast.

A 67-year-old woman was tricked into opening the door when the callers claimed to be the police.

The robbers demanded money and ransacked the house before making off in a car.

Detective Inspector George Millar said he was concerned at the effect the attacks were having on the victims.

"The difficulty for the elderly community is that they have grown up in an era where in their day you trusted people who came to your house," he said.

"Unfortunately, they are still being caught out."

Detectives have appealed for any one with information about the attacks to contact them.