A THIEF has been jailed for four years after she conned her way into the homes of four elderly and vulnerable people.

Tina Barrell, aged 42, of Walmersley Road, Bury, tricked four pensioners in north Manchester so she could get into their homes and look for things to steal.

In one case she stole from an old man's pockets after persuading him to lie down so he could remove his trousers.

In the first incident, on Tuesday, April 22, Barrell knocked on the door of a house in Howard Spring Walk in Cheetham Hill.

The victim, a man in his 70s who is terminally ill and housebound, opened the door, and she asked for someone called Bob.

As the victim knew someone called Bob he went back into the house to write down his details.

She followed him into the house and began walking round his living room and looking under the bed saying she had dropped her phone.

He demanded that she left, which eventually she did. Nothing was taken.

On Sunday, April 20, Barrell went to a house on Hillcroft Close in Crumpsall and walked into a house that was unlocked while an elderly woman in her 80s sat outside with her two granddaughters.

Barrell started asking questions and moved towards a purse which was on the side in the living room.

The victim and grandchildren told the woman to leave, which she did, and again nothing was taken.

In the third incident, on Wednesday April 16, Barrell went with a friend to visit his grandmother at a house in Rosslyn Road, Moston.

Once inside the house, she walked around the living room and repeatedly made excuses to leave the room. The woman, in her 80s, then asked both to leave.

She later discovered that Barrell had stolen cash and cards and had forced open a locked desk.

On Tuesday April 22, Barrell went to a house in Rachel Rosing Walk, Cheetham Hill, and opened the door.

She shouted in and the victim, a man in his 80s, called her to come in.

Despite not recognising her, the man invited her to sit down. Barrell told him his legs were swollen and offered to massage his legs.

She encouraged him on to the bed where she removed his trousers to his ankles and massaged his legs.

The victim's daughter in law, who was passing, arrived at the house and told Barrell to leave. The man later discovered that Barrell had stolen cash from his trouser pocket.

Det Con Sajid Sardar said: "This woman preyed on vulnerable people in their homes to steal small amounts of cash.

"She would con her way into their homes and once inside would look to steal whatever she could. While she didn't always leave with anything it is clear that was her intent.

"She has no regard for other people and her primary focus was on what she could get for herself."

Barrell pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and was jailed for four years at Manchester Crown Court yesterday.

Another two counts were ordered to lie on file.