Burglar breaks into home of woman, 94

Gardaí are hunting a burglar who broke into an apartment of a 94-year-old woman in Sligo, while in Donegal two pensioners using brush handles chased off a gang of burglars.

Details of the weekend break-ins emerged as gardaí pledged to restaff the station in Pettigo, Co Donegal, following two attacks within eight weeks on the home of 78-year-old Phyllis McGee.

The apartment where the 94-year-old lived was broken into at a street known as The Lungy in Sligo town in the early hours of Saturday.

Gardaí said the woman heard a window smashing during the night but didn’t get up.

Next morning she discovered it was her own window. Garda investigators discovered a footprint inside the apartment.