SHOCKED elderly residents living in sheltered accommodation in Bournemouth say they fear for their safety after thieves stripped lead from their homes.

Police officers were called to Talbot Woods Court, in Ensbury Park, on Thursday afternoon amid reports three youngsters were seen stealing strips of lead from the top of two ground floor bay windows in broad daylight.

The youngsters escaped leaving the heavy, 2ft x 6ft long strips of metal on the ground, but resident Robert Cake, 68, told how the break-in has horrified residents, who live in 40 flats on the site, and sparked fears of further break ins.

“It makes me feel unsafe,” he said. “To take the roof off I have never known it, especially where we are, we’re supposed to be safe.

“In my opinion what these thieves did was worse than the rioting. To rob old people’s roofs, I mean what’s it come to?”

Mr Cake, who has lived in a bedsit at the site for five years, added that the sheltered accommodation is warden assisted, but said this has not helped calm the jittery nerves of the elderly residents.

Bournemouth Borough Council’s independent senior living manager Andrew Hookings, said: “It is sad that this sort of thing should happen on one of our schemes for older, vulnerable people.

“We have spoken to the majority of our residents and reassured them that we are looking at measures to provide additional security on the scheme.

“In the meantime they have been advised not to let anyone they do not know inside the buildings and to report to our on-site housing officer or to central control about suspicious activity.

“Our surveyors visited the site yesterday and they are currently looking at ways to improve security at the scheme including installation and improvements to perimeter fencing.”