A WINDOW cleaner conned his way into the homes of OAPS on his round — then stole money from them.

One of Dean Worthington's victims in Horwich described him as "despicable" and the "lowest of the low" after he was jailed for three years at Bolton Crown Court.

The court heard the 35-year-old, who had worked in the area for nearly two years and won the trust of the people on his round, got into people's homes by pretending to be injured.

Worthington preyed on 89-year-old Sheila Hall, of Victoria Road, on December 23 last year, claiming he had trapped his hand in a door and needed to run it under a cold tap.

While her back was turned as she searched for a first aid kit, he helped himself to £150 in cash, a mobile phone and bank cards.

After the hearing, Mrs Hall, who attended an identity parade to point out Worthington, said: "For what he did I don't think the sentence is enough. He has picked on elderly people and to me that is the lowest of the low. What makes it worse is that we trusted him and I only let him come inside to help him because he had hurt himself.

"We were disgusted with him."

The cash taken had been drawn out by Mrs Hall to use as Christmas presents for family including her three grandchildren.

Mrs Hall, who had been paying Worthington to clean her windows since last summer, added: "It is despicable at the time of year that he did it when you just don't have any spare money."

On Christmas Eve, Worthington targeted Carol Walker in a similar way, stealing £135 in cash from her handbag.

Worthington, who has a lengthy criminal record which includes 11 non-dwelling burglaries and 91 thefts from motor vehicles, had worked for John Fazakerley as a window cleaner, steering clear of crime since being released from prison in 2011.

The court heard he became so desperate that he had written a threatening letter to Mr Fazakerley who was due to give evidence in the case.

Worthington, of Lavender Road, Farnworth, pleaded guilty on the day of his trial to two burglaries and one charge of intimidation, receiving 33 months for the burglary, and three months, to be served consecutively, for writing the letter.

Mark Friend, defending, said his client was now drug free after "significant personal difficulties" when he was younger.

The catalyst for Worthington quitting drugs was the loss of his brother to drug misuse, Mr Friend added.

Two other burglary charges were left on file, after the crown opted not to pursue them in view of Worthington's guilty pleas.

Judge Graeme Smith said: "In this case the victims were elderly and extremely vulnerable and you were in a position of trust, in that you were someone known to them and trusted to wash their windows.

"You took advantage of that by posing as someone in need."

He added that the letter to Mr Fazakerley was "unpleasant and very ill-advised".