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Sheerness burglary leaves pensioner Sylvia Doyle frightened to be home alone in Edenbridge Drive

A great-grandmother says she’s terrified to be home alone after thieves ­ransacked her house.

Sylvia Doyle says she dreads to think what might have ­happened if she had been confronted by the criminals in her home in ­Edenbridge Drive, Sheerness.

The 74-year-old was out the front gardening when the thieves snuck in the back door, which had been left open while she was working.

Sylvia was burgled while she was at home alone and is now frightened
Sylvia was burgled while she was at home alone and is now frightened

They stole hundreds of pounds in cash, jewellery, a precious broach and her partner Tony Limmage’s keys before driving off in his car.

“I’m frightened to death because I was there on my own – I haven’t slept,” she said.

“I’m afraid to be there on my own and am locking myself in.

“I dread to think what would have happened if I had gone in while they were there – it doesn’t bear thinking about.

“They could have had knives or pushed me down the stairs.”

It is the latest in a series of burglaries and attempted break-ins across Sheppey this year and police are investigating the possibility the burglary is linked to another one in the same road.

Ms Doyle’s house was targeted last Wednesday morning when the great-grandmother-of-five was gardening while partner Tony Limmage went out for the day.

She went back inside to make a cup of tea and when she looked outside, she noticed Mr Limmage’s car was missing.

She phoned him to ask if he had been back and when he said he hadn’t, she phoned the police to report the Peugeot 407 stolen and was advised to check if anything else had been taken.

Ms Doyle said: “I thought no one had been in because I would have heard them.
“I went upstairs and all the doors were open but I always close them.

"Then I went into my bedroom and the drawers were pulled out and everything was scattered everywhere.”

The thieves also took a piggy bank containing around £400 in 50p coins, which the couple had been saving towards a holiday, around £800 cash as well as gold jewellery including necklaces, watches, earrings and a brooch which had belonged to Ms Doyle’s mother.

The car was recovered that day near the prison in Eastchurch but the keys and a pot of change had been taken.

A set of house keys was taken from a house four doors away from Ms Doyle’s between 8am and 9.30am on Friday and a police spokesman said they are not ruling out the possibility that the incidents are linked.

Phone police on 101, quoting crime reference XY/011674/14 or XY/011921/14.

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