TWO men posing as parish church officials conned their way in to the home of a 72-year-old woman and stole a bank card and £47 in cash from her handbag while she made them a cup of tea.

The men called at the house in Grange Valley Road, Haydock, at about 1.30pm on Thursday, January 15 and when they left they drove off in a small, dark-coloured car.

One of the men was white, between 38 and 45 years old, and about 5ft 7in tall with a medium build. He had dark hair and was smartly dressed in a dark-blue suit.

The second man was about 5ft 9in tall, aged 28 to 30 years and athletically-built with short brown hair and a moustache. He was wearing a red checked shirt and short brown jacket.

ANYONE able to help the police with their inquiries can contact DC Neil Henry at St Helens police station on 0151 777 6873/6874, or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.