Pensioner shaken after home invasion

AN elderly woman is still in a state of shock after confronting a burglar in her house while home alone on Friday.

The incident occurred in a remote area of Lisselton at around 1.50pm on Friday last. It happened shortly after a burglary on an unoccupied house in the Tarbert area in which jewellery, cash and electronics were stolen.

Gardaí believe the same gang is behind both.

The 80-year-old woman was alone at her home in a remote area overlooking Lisselton when she heard a loud crash in the house.

She came upon a hooded man in the corridor of her home when she went to investigate the noise, who immediately fled through the window he had broken to access the house.

Although there was no physical confrontation the woman was left deeply shaken by the terrifying home invasion. It appears that nothing was taken from the house given the burglar fled seconds after entering.

Gardaí are now hunting a dark-coloured car with an English registration plate in connection with the break-in and an earlier raid nearby.

A dark-coloured car with English registration plates was also seen in the vicinity of a burglarly shortly beforehand in the neighbouring parish of Tarbert.

In that incident, which happened sometime between 9.30am and 1pm, the burglar - or burglars - broke in through a rear window of an unoccupied house in the townland of Kilcolgan.

The occupants returned at 1pm to discover the damage and reported the theft of jewellery, electronic equipment and a small amout of cash.

Gardaí in Listowel are appealing for information from anyone who might have witnessed a car matching the description or any other activity of potential interest.