ELDERLY women residents in the Fylde are becoming frequent easy targets for callous thieves.

There have been three instances during the last week where elderly women have been robbed near to where they live or in the property itself.

"Thieves are well aware that elderly women can't fight back and don't make good witnesses," said Det Insp Paul Phillpott of Blackpool Police.

A partially-sighted, 85-year-old women who tried to help two youths asking for directions, paid for her neighbourly attitude when the youths grabbed her handbag.

The elderly female was walking out of the front gate of her house in Peter Street, Blackpool, when she was approached by the two youths who pretended to be lost. As the woman offered help with directions, they snatched her handbag and ran off.

The thieves were white males, believed to be in their teens and around 5ft 5in tall. Both wore baseball caps. The offence took place at approximately 3.40pm on Monday.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen the youths, who may be local residents, talking to the woman to tel (01253) 293933.

A thief snatched a plastic carrier bag from a 73-year-old woman walking along Talbot Road just before midday on Monday (May 20). The bag contained her pension book and personal papers.

The offender ran off down the road, got into a maroon Citroen and drove off towards the town centre.

He is described as around 6ft tall, of skinny build, with short, blond, unkempt hair and wearing a navy blue sweatshirt and navy blue trousers.

A sneak-in burglar found an unlocked door at a Lincoln Court flat in Hornby Road, Blackpool.

He searched some of the rooms while the resident, an 82-year-old woman, was at home and got away with cash and credit cards to the value of £478. The offence took place between 4pm and 4.30pm on Monday (May 20).