A PENSIONER has told how she was targeted by a conman who looked like England footballer Peter Crouch - only 10 inches shorter.

Betty Bayman, 76, said a lookalike of the Liverpool striker pretended to be from the water board, but stole her purse once he got inside her home in the Grimshaw Park area of Blackburn.

Football fan Betty, who supports her hometown club Aberdeen, said the conman looked just like Peter Crouch.

But he was around 5ft 9in, compared to 6ft 7in Crouch.

She said: "Every time I saw Crouch's face in the paper over the weekend it kept reminding me of what happened."

Betty said the conman called last Friday and said there was something wrong with the pressure of her water.

He then asked her to hold her toilet lever with one hand and the ball cock in the cistern with the other.

He left her in the bathroom and stole £15 from her purse.

Betty waited for him to come back for 25 minutes before checking out his claim to work for a company called Osco with the police.

She said: "They said it didn't exist and I knew I had been burgled.

"I had a look around for my bag and thought my purse'.

"He had taken £15 and left all the change. I couldn't believe it. He must have thought I was a fool."

The man was described as white, pale, skinny, with dark brown cropped hair.

He was wearing a dark overall jacket and dark pants with brown boots and sounded like he came from the North West.

Witnesses should call 08451 253545.