Partially-sighted war veteran is tricked out of his life savings

The con artists drove 94-year-old veteran Bruce Palmer to a building society to withdraw the cash before callously dumping him by the side of the road.

They handed him £3.20 and told him to make the four-mile journey home alone.

Last night housebound widower Mr Palmer said he blamed himself for being tricked as detectives appealed for help to catch those responsible.

He said: "It's my own stupidity. I should have known better, particularly as I used to advise geriatrics not to let in strangers when I was a community health council volunteer."

A man and woman called at Mr Palmer's two-bedroom bungalow, near Rye, between 10am and noon on August 16, telling him: "We're here to do the work".

Confused, partially-sighted Mr Palmer, who served for 20 years in the Army, assumed they were his neighbours, Tony and Julie, to returf his garden. It was a job he had discussed with them for a number of years but because of commitments had not started.

However, Mr Palmer's eyesight is so bad he could not tell the couple were not his friends but complete strangers.

Mr Palmer, a great grandfather, let the couple in. They said they could do the work for him for £3,000 without mentioning what work needed doing.

He phoned his bank for authorisation to withdraw the money but they said they could not pay such a large sum and advised him to try a larger branch.

The couple led Mr Palmer into their light coloured 4x4 in which a woman and a child aged about five were in the back seat.

All five of them drove to Hastings town centre, believing there would be an Alliance and Leicester to hand over the £3,000 immediately.

After parking up, the bare-chested conman stopped several passers-by to ask where the building society was based in the town.

He learned from one woman the Hastings branch had closed down and the nearest one was in Devonshire Road, Bexhill.

They dropped Mr Palmer outside the Alliance and Leicester in Bexhill at about 1pm while they waited outside.

He said: "The bank manager was very reluctant to hand over such a big sum of money. He said I would have to prove who I was. After clearing up all identification issues, I was given £3,000. £50 notes were tied into bundles of £1,000 and they were placed in an envelope for me. I went outside and could make out this lady standing on the opposite side of the road.

"She wouldn't come over to me so I went over and asked her if she was Julie. She said she was. They got me into the car and we got out of Bexhill via quite an unusual rural route, presumably to avoid being seen.

"They then dropped me off at Rope Walk in Rye, gave me £3.20 in coppers and silver and said I should get a bus home while they collected the materials.

"I thought it was unusual for Terry and Julie to just drop me off like that. They would've dropped me back home."

Later in the day, after Mr Palmer had not heard from his neighbours, he phoned them.

Mr Palmer said: "Terry said, 'I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't taken you to any building society today'. It was then the penny dropped. Terry came round and the police were brought in."

Sussex Police said last night a man and a woman were arrested in Kent in connection with the incident and have been freed on bail pending inquiries.

A force spokeswoman said: "The incident lasted some time and involved Camber, Hastings, Bexhill and Rye. We urgently want to hear from anyone with information which might help us track down those responsible.

"Were you in Hastings town centre that Tuesday morning and asked where the Alliance and Leicester was by an elderly man and a man with no shirt on?

"Were you in Devonshire Road, Bexhill, at lunchtime and maybe saw the elderly man being dropped off or met outside the Alliance and Leicester?

"Or perhaps someone with a large amount of £50 notes purchased goods from you later that day."

Anyone with information should call Rother CID on 0845 6070999, quoting serial 1740 of 16/08/05, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.