THIEVES who targeted a great-great grandmother in a suspected sneak-in burglary stole cash and jewellery including a treasured engagement ring.
Five rings, around £100 in cash and a pension card were snatched from the Wrexham home of 87-year-old Evelyn Dunmer between Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
Mrs Dunmer, of Moorland Avenue in Queen’s Park, has two children, six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter.
Disgusted family members said the widower had been left “shaken” and “distressed” by the theft.
Daughter Gloria Roberts, 64, believes the burglar crept into the house while her mother was sleeping.
“My mother isn’t very good on her feet and her memory is not what it was,” she said.
“Her hearing is quite poor and she doesn’t always wear a hearing-aid so she wouldn’t have heard anything.
“They ransacked a drawer and took rings, pension money, some other cash and her pension card.”
Mrs Dunmer’s family visited her on Monday and she first noticed the items were missing on Wednesday morning.
Mrs Roberts said: “She rang me and she was very upset. I went round to her house as soon as I could.
“Ten years ago one of the rings was valued at £500 but they have great sentimental value.”
Amongst the items taken were an engagement ring, an eternity ring and one that belonged to Mrs Dunmer’s late husband, James, which had been made smaller so she could wear it in his memory.
Mrs Roberts said: “I don’t know whether to feel angry, disgusted or devastated. I wish I could get my hands on them.”
Granddaughter Tracey Buckley, 44, said: “I feel absolutely sick to my stomach. It is disgusting.
“I think whoever did it must have known my nana was alone in the house.
“We have been to all of the gold shops and given them descriptions in case the thief tries to sell the rings.”
North Wales Police said there was no sign of forced entry and they were treating the incident as a burglary.
Police said witnesses or anybody with information should call 101 (if in Wales) or 0845 607 1002 (English). Alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.