Great-grandad punched in face after answering door
A woman sat on him and pinned his hand to the floor as she pulled a gold ring from his finger, and another man raided the house for cash (Picture: BPM Media)

A great-grandad was tricked into answering the door and was pushed face first onto his kitchen floor and held down while raiders stole from his home.

Fred Thacker, 90, thought workers were offering to upgrade his security when he opened the door to his home in Birmingham at lunchtime on Monday.

But instead, two thugs barged into his house and pushed him down onto the floor.

A woman sat on him and pinned his hand to the floor as she pulled a gold ring, left to him in a friend’s will, from his finger and another man raided the house for cash.

‘I dread to think what could have happened,’ Fred’s daughter, Nicky, told BirminghamLive.

‘I didn’t sleep a wink, I just kept waking up and seeing his face and thinking how he must have felt lying on that kitchen floor. That’s all I could think about.’

Fred, who became a great-great grandfather in lockdown, had just returned home from his daily shop visit to pick up a newspaper when he was targeted.

‘He got home, there was a knock on the door so he called out to see who it was. They said: “It’s about security.”‘

A great-grandad was tricked into answering the door, pushed face first onto his kitchen floor and held down as raiders stole his cash and a gold ring from his finger. Fred Thacker, 90, thought workers were offering to upgrade his security when he opened the door to his home in Storrs Close, Small Heath at noon on Monday, January 18. Instead, two thugs - a man and woman - barged their way into his house and pushed him down onto the vinyl flooring. The woman sat on him and pinned his hand to the floor as she prised a gold ring, left to him in a friend's will, from his finger.
Fred Thacker, 90, thought workers were offering to upgrade his security when he opened the door (Picture: BPM Media)

He initially told the pair he wasn’t interested and they left to knock other doors, but then they returned. After opening the door again to reiterate he wasn’t interested, the pair forced their way past him into his home.

‘The man grabbed his hand, the woman grabbed his body, sort of held onto him. The kitchen door was ajar,’ Nicky added.

‘They must have pushed him up that far then pushed him into the kitchen face first on the floor and she sat on him.

‘She held his hand to the floor. He didn’t know what the man was doing at that point. The woman kept saying, “Be quiet, stay there.”‘

Fred’s pension money – £180 in cash – was taken along with the cards in his wallet and cufflink and tie sets bought as Christmas presents over the years.

The thugs even pulled his phone wire out and stole his £15 mobile phone before he could dial 999.

A great-grandad was tricked into answering the door, pushed face first onto his kitchen floor and held down as raiders stole his cash and a gold ring from his finger. Fred Thacker, 90, thought workers were offering to upgrade his security when he opened the door to his home in Storrs Close, Small Heath at noon on Monday, January 18. Instead, two thugs - a man and woman - barged their way into his house and pushed him down onto the vinyl flooring. The woman sat on him and pinned his hand to the floor as she prised a gold ring, left to him in a friend's will, from his finger.
A gold ring, left to him in a friend’s will, was pulled from his finger in the horrific raid (Picture: BPM Media)

The police were alerted after a neighbour decided to check on Fred after seeing the pair acting suspiciously.

Nicky said: ‘He phoned me and said: “I’ve been robbed, I’ve been robbed.”

‘He got quite emotional about the ring. He’s a little bit more shook up than he’s letting on.’

The woman involved with the attack was thought to be white, had hair in a bun and wore a dark coat. Both were said to be aged between 25 and 30 with local accents. The man wore a green coat, had brown hair and wore a blue scarf.

‘He’s blind in one eye as well, so he only saw them briefly at the door before he tried to shut it and everything happened,’ Nicky explained.

West Midlands Police have launched an investigation to find the pair after the ‘callous offence’.

A force spokesperson said: ‘This was a truly heartless offence. We understand a woman knocked the man’s door just after midday on Monday, January 18 claiming to be carrying out security surveys.

‘Without warning she pushed the 90-year-old inside his home, shoving him to the floor and pinning him down. A male accomplice has appeared and searched the rooms. They made off with cash and a bank card.

‘An investigation is underway. We’re carrying out a trawl of CCTV in the area and looking at potential forensic opportunities. Our officers have also discussed home security with the victim and his family.

‘This was a callous offence by two people who have deliberately targeted an elderly man in his own home.

‘If anyone saw a man and woman in Storrs Close, Small Heath, on Monday morning acting suspiciously then please get in touch. Or if anyone suspects who may be involved we want to hear from you.’

Anyone with information should call the police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

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