A D-DAY veteran was thrown to the ground and robbed in his own home after opening the door to strangers
John Lambert, 91, who bravely stormed the beaches of Normandy, was left lying on the floor of his flat when a couple forced their way into his flat on Friday afternoon.
The Royal Scots veteran was left helpless and couldn’t even call the police as the robbers even tore the phone from the wall in his Edinburgh home.
Mr Lambert, who lives streets away from where Pole Maciej Ciania was murdered two weeks ago, answered his door to a woman asking to use his toilet, but he refused to let her in.
But the couple forced their way into the flat at around 3.20pm and ransacked his Duke street home looking for cash.
Despite his age, Mr Lambert tried to stop the woman from entering but the man pushed him over, shouting: “That’s a woman you know.”
After the couple left, Mr Lambert was found by his son Derek and daughter Marjorie, who phoned the police.
A shaken Mr Lambert said: “It’s hard to believe they could do this to a 91-year-old man.”
He said he tried to stop the couple but did not have enough strength to battle them.
He said: “The girl ran past me and went straight for my wallet in the bedroom. There was £200 in cash which I give to my daughter for messages and she pulled out the wallet.
“She left the change in the drawer but then the boy said “I’ll have that” and grabbed the change.
“I tried to pull her out the bedroom and he said ‘that’s a woman you know’ and pushed me over. I said ‘well I’m a 91-year-old.’
Mr Lambert said the pair left after they had pulled the phone line out of the wall.
He said: “I’ve never had any trouble like this before myself, but the area has got a lot more dangerous. It used to be a nice street.
“That young Polish lad was killed not far from here and there’s knife-carrying and fights. But I wasn’t hurt, though, and I’ve got my son and daughter with me so it could be worse.”
Mr Lambert’s friend Jimmy Robertson, who lives in the flat above added: “It’s absolutely scandalous that this pair would rob a 91-year-old man.
“I hope the police track them down and so they can’t do this to anyone else.”
Police are looking for the suspects and have issued a description of the couple.
The man is described as being around 40-years-old, 5ft 10in tall, and of skinny build.
He was clean shaven and was wearing dark clothing.
The woman is also thought to be around 40-years-old, 5ft 6in, of thin build, with an aged face and long dark hair.
She was also wearing dark clothing.
Lothian and Borders police have urged anyone who might have seen the pair in the Duke Street area around 3.20pm on Friday to get in touch with them.
