A door-to-door salesman used his detailed knowledge of housing estates to target frail pensioners.

Alan Heap conned his way into the homes of elderly people living alone in Brighton and Hove when he turned to crime to feed his drug habit.

The 22-year-old used a series of bizarre claims to trick his way past the trusting victims, saying he had kicked his football into their gardens, needed a drink or had been in a car crash.

He even convinced one widow he needed a cup of tea instead of the fruit juice she offered because he had cancer.

When he left, his elderly victims discovered he had stolen cash, handbags and pension books.

His two-month spree was brought to an end when a couple saw him acting suspiciously in a street in Hove and called police.

Heap, of no fixed address, at first claimed he was collecting newspapers but officers searched him and found a pension book and bank book stolen from a nearby home.

He admitted work selling dusters door-to-door had helped him build up a list of easy targets and gain their trust.

Heap pleaded guilty to five charges of burglary via video link from Lewes prison when his case was heard by magistrates in Brighton yesterday.

Seven other offences of burglary with intent to steal were taken into consideration.

All were committed in March and April this year.

Yesterday's case came hot on the heels of proposals to outlaw "cold-calling" by the Trading Standards Institute, which said door-to-door salesmen were responsible for a huge number of complaints.

Janet Turner, prosecuting, told the court Heap went to a house in Reading Road, Brighton, on March 29 asking a 76-year-old woman, who lived with her disabled husband, to lend him £20 . He left a drill as security but returned next day to ask for it back.

He said he would leave a watch behind instead but when he left the pensioner discovered £65 had gone from a kitchen drawer and the watch was missing too.

The next day he went to Camden Terrace, Brigh-ton, and conned his way into the home of an 88-year-old blind woman claiming his ball had gone over her garden wall.

He asked for a glass of water. When he had gone she realised he had stolen her handbag, which included £100 cash, bank books and her spectacles.

He then went to a flat in Upper Wellington Road, Brighton, and told the 59-year-old owner he had been in a car accident.

He asked for a drink but told her he could not have fruit juice because he was suffering from cancer. He chatted for a few minutes before leaving. She then noticed her purse, which had £30 in it, was missing.

Days later, in Wish Road, Hove, he called on an 84-year-old woman's home and told her a ball had gone into the garden and he needed to retrieve it.

Inside the house he started to cough and said he had bad asthma. She later realised he had taken her handbag, which was found dumped in a rubbish bin at nearby Wish Park.

When he was arrested Heap told police he had been seen knocking on doors in Portland Road because he was collecting newspapers for a project.

But he was carrying a pension book and bank book. And after calling at nearby homes, officers discovered the stolen items belonged to an 81-year-old pensioner, still unaware they were missing.

The victim said Heap had been to his house earlier in the day asking to use the telephone.

Jane Lloyd, defending, said: "He made abundantly clear to the police the issue of his drug habit. He is desperate and does need assistance for it."

Heap's case was sent to Lewes Crown Court for sentencing. He was re-manded in custody.