BURGLARS posing as water board workers targeted a woman in her 60s leaving her badly injured.
The community has been left sickened after raiders, purporting to be officials from a water company, struck after talking their way into a property in St Cynfarch’s Avenue, Hope.
The victim – believed to be in her 60s – was left with cracked ribs and a broken arm following a struggle with the thieves as they took her handbag.
Three suspects, one of whom is just 15, have been arrested and are now being questioned by police.
Shocked neighbours came to the victim’s aid after the incident, which happened at about 2pm on Tuesday.
Alison Nolan, 25, raced from her home after hearing a commotion in the street.
“I heard someone shouting and saw people running down the road,” she said.
“The lady was lying on the floor outside her house. She was crying and shaking. It was horrible to see.
“I gathered some blankets to keep her warm while we waited for the police and ambulance to arrive.”
Miss Nolan said the victim told neighbours the thieves said they needed to enter the house to fix her taps.
She said: “It is so quiet down here normally but it was so scary. I have started to lock all my doors and windows.
“We have heard people in other areas have been targeted too.”
One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “It is shocking. Hope is such a quite little village and you do not expect things like this to happen.
“Everybody knows everybody else around here and when something like this does happen it has a massive impact.”
Another resident said she was in the street at the time of the incident and saw a gang of people run from the property and into a waiting car.
She said: “It happened so fast. When we got to the house the lady was in a terrible state.
“She was very upset and said they had taken her handbag. It was an awful sight.”
North Wales Police confirmed they received a report of a burglary at a property in Hope on Tuesday afternoon.
A force spokeswoman said: “Three people, a 15-year-old, a 22-year-old and a 24-year-old were arrested on suspicion of burglary by Cheshire Police and have been transferred to North Wales Police and are currently awaiting questioning.”
A spokesman for Welsh Ambulance Service: “We can confirm we did attend the incident and took the patient to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
“She was an elderly female who had a broken arm and injured ribs.”