Did thief stalk his frail victim?

George Sharpe, 82, collapsed and died from a heart attack on Wednesday night - only three hours after the bogus council worker struck at his home in Faraday Terrace, Haswell, County Durham.

Durham Police are now investigating whether the widower was visited by the same trickster at 5pm last Sunday.

A team of 40 officers are also probing the "striking similarities" between Wednesday's act and the first time Mr Sharpe fell victim to a bogus official last February.

On that occasion, a man claiming to be from the water board stole £2,700 from his savings after distracting the pensioner.

Mr Sharpe, who walked with the aid of two sticks and suffered from a serious heart condition, was at home with his nephew, Larry Hopkins, on Sunday evening when a stranger walked into his house and threw back the sliding doors to his living room.

The intruder gave an excuse that there were youngsters damaging Mr Hopkins' car and the nephew ushered the stranger outside, where he walked off.

After Wednesday's burglary, Mr Hopkins described the man responsible as having "no feelings at all".

"You wouldn't think they would have a nerve to come back - but they have a nerve for anything," he said.

Detective Superintendent Harry Stephenson, who is leading the investigation, said the descriptions closely matched.

They were of a man in his 30s, about 5ft 5in tall wearing a tweed flat cap, a dark coloured jacket and dark gloves.

"At this stage, I couldn't rule out a link between all three incidents," he said.

Mr Sharpe, a former drain layer with Easington District Council, was deeply distressed after the burglaries.

His health had deteriorated since the death of his wife, Gladys, 78, three years ago, and he had already suffered three heart attacks.

In Haswell yesterday, where neighbours have described their shock at the way the "gentle" pensioner had been targeted, police were carrying out a leaflet drop.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Peterlee police station on 0191-555-111