AN elderly widower had jewellery stolen when he allowed two women into his home to get a drink a water.

At Bolton Crown Court Hungarian born Ilona Kereszturi was handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting handling gold cufflinks belonging to the pensioner which he had treasured for 50 years after being given them by his late wife.

Phillip Parry, prosecuting, told the court how the man was at his home in Heaton on July 17 last year when two women knocked at his door purporting to offer a cleaning service.

He declined but allowed them into his home after one of the women asked for a glass of water so she could take some tablets.

They did not leave his sight, but when they had gone he checked his house and discovered a third person must have been with them as a money bag and jewellery box had been stolen from the bedroom.

Mr Parry told the court: "Very many of the items had sentimental value."

A week later 26-year-old Kereszturi was arrested and in a search of her home police found a receipt for a pair of gold cufflinks which had been handed into a pawn shop on Newport Street in return for £30 on July 21.

CCTV pictures from the shop revealed it was Kereszturi making the transaction. The cufflinks have now been returned to their owner.

Kereszturi, of Crosby Road, Heaton, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods.

Mr Parry said: "It simply couldn't be proved that she was one of the two females who distracted the victim."

Mark Friend, defending, said Kereszturi had no previous convictions.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson sentenced Kereszturi to five months in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered that she should do 90 hours unpaid work and pay surcharges plus £250 towards prosecution costs.

Judge Clayson said: "People must understand that if they go around disposing of stolen property and items that are likely to be of sentimental value, then they are not much less culpable than the person who committed the offence."