As grandmother Geraldine Croucher recovers in hospital at Swindon, Wiltshire, shocked locals are rallying round to raise money to replace her stolen savings
A 72-year-old white-haired pensioner was robbed when she blacked out and lay injured and unconscious in a crowded shopping street.
Yards from the first festive displays, a callous thief showed no Christmas cheer.
Showing a shocking lack of humanity, the vile thief pinched frail diabetic Geraldine Croucher’s £159 pension which she’d planned to put towards Christmas presents for her family.
As the OAP recovers in hospital at Swindon, Wiltshire, shocked locals are rallying round to raise money to replace her stolen savings.
Her daughter Lara spoke of the appalling incident, describing how Geraldine, from Pinehurst, was walking to a bus stop near Swindon’s Central Library after collecting her pension from the post office in WHSmiths when she suddenly fell unconscious.
Lara said a stranger who the family only know as Ashley stopped to help, and paramedics were called.
But another onlooker wasn’t as public spirited as Ashley, and stole Geraldine’s pension that she had tucked into a backpack on her trolley.
‘The pack was left unattended while Ashley helped mum on to a seat’ said Lara.
‘It’s disgusting and cowardly. I can’t believe there are people out there who would do something like that.
Despite the ordeal, poor Mrs Croucher has remained in remarkably good spirits and has thanked the paramedics who came to her aid, as well the mystery good Samaritan, Ashley
‘It must have been a quick, opportunistic snatch because they didn’t rifle through her purse or the rest of her belongings.
‘I’ve checked with the post office and they have CCTV of mum receiving the cash and putting it into the top of her bag, and she still has the receipt, so she did have it before she fell.’
Paramedics took the pensioner to Great Western Hospital, Swindon, where she is still recovering.
She has nasty bruising down most of her left side and a lump over her left eye, which is making it difficult to see.
Despite this, she is in remarkably good spirits and thanked the paramedics and Ashley, the stranger who helped her.
She said ‘They were ever so kind, he needn’t have stayed with me all that time.
‘It’s all a bit fuzzy but I remember his name was Ashley and I think he worked for Sky because I saw the Sky logo on his top.
‘He said he saw me fall and was too far away to catch me but looked after me until the ambulance came. There are some really kind people out there.’
The pensioner was walking to a bus stop near Swindon’s Central Library after collecting her pension from the post office in WHSmiths when she suddenly fell unconscious
Her daughter added ‘I’m glad that someone arranged for the paramedics to be called as soon as possible.
‘I want to say a big thank you to that man and thank the paramedics for what they’ve done.
‘Mum has diabetes and has collapsed in Tesco and Wilkinson before.
‘The staff there always help her up and get her some water and food to restore her blood sugar.
‘She’s been in hospital three times over the past year and this time they said the collapse was caused by a heart problem. She might have to have a pacemaker fitted.
‘She will be in hospital for another week or fortnight, but she’s having some physiotherapy to get her back on her feet.’
On social media, Jimmy Quinn said ‘Excuse my French but this ba****d needs catching, sentencing, made to pay her back in person with the photo on the front of every paper in the UK.
‘Can scum get any lower in modern England as it appears it’s getting worse. Let’s just hope there is CCTV somewhere to catch this lowlife and get the vermin sent down.’
Simmo66 wrote ‘This sums up the good and bad side of human nature.A kind person who was willing to help someone in distress, followed by a scumbag who needs a good bit of a sorting out!’