TWO con artists got more than they bargained for when they targeted grandmother Loraine Findley.

Mrs Findley, 83, the mother of Bali bomb victim Ian Findley, sent the pair packing, after giving them a sound beating with her trusty bucket.

Mrs Findley, of Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street, said: "If I had had a stick, they would have got that as well."

It happened on Tuesday morning, when Mrs Findley looked up from reading her newspaper to see a man standing in her doorway.

He claimed to be from the water board and had come to test her taps.

When Mrs Findley, who has lived in the house for 52 years, asked to see his ID he said he had left it in the car. She pushed him out into the yard, where she spotted his accomplice. Mrs Findley relented and let one of the men into her downstairs bathroom.

While her back was turned, the second man made a dash into the house.

"He was quick, but I was just as fast," she said. "I am agile and I ran through there in a jiffy.

"I grabbed the pail and just went at them with it until they left. They didn't get time to steal anything."

Her son Ian, 55, of West Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, was killed in the Bali bombing in October 2002. He was one of 202 people who died in the blast that ripped through the Sari Club and nearby Paddy's Bar in Kuta.

"I am normally very placid," she said. "But I was really angry that they were in my house."

Insp Dave Marshall, of Chester-le-Street police, said: "We are looking for at least one man with a bump on his head.

"While we would not recommend that members of the public tackle bogus callers directly, we are full of admiration for Mrs Findley. For a lady of 83, what she did was remarkable.

"People should always ask for ID when dealing with callers, and should contact the police if they have any suspicions."

Both men were white and aged 18 to 20. The first was about 5ft 7in, of medium build, clean shaven, with short, fair hair. He wore a light-coloured baseball cap, a grey top and dark trousers, and spoke with a local accent.

The second was slightly shorter, and stocky.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on (0191) 386 4929.