ELDERLY people have been targeted in "nasty" burglaries, in which their homes were ransacked.

Three of the crimes happened within 45 minutes in Crosland Moor.

Another was in Milnsbridge, when a 97-year-old man was twice pushed to the floor and had a jumper pulled over his face by a man who ransacked his home.

A police spokesman said: "These were nasty attacks, clearly targeted at elderly people."

A thief struck at the 97-year-old man's home in the Meg Lane area at 12.30pm yesterday.

The intruder barged his way in and

when the man told him to get out, the burglar said he wanted money.

He then shoved the victim to the floor, before searching through drawers.

He stole a £500 Tissot woman's watch and a brown leather wallet, containing £30.

He is aged 30 to 40 and is about 6ft.

The Crosland Moor burglaries began about 4.45pm, when two men forced their way into the home of a 92-year- old woman in Blackmoorfoot Road.

She was forced to sit in a chair as the intruders demanded where her money was.

She told them where to find a handbag containing £15 and they stole the money. They then rifled drawers.

One of the men is about 5ft 9in. He wore a blue, three- quarter-length hooded coat. His accomplice is 6ft.

Minutes later a man slipped into the nearby home of an 89-year- old woman. He shoved her on a settee and stole her purse. He is about 5ft 8in tall.

A man then tried to barge into the home of a 77-year-old man in Blackmoorfoot Road.

The victim stood firm, but the thief stole a small amount of cash from his pocket.

The thief is pale, in his mid-20s, 5ft 8in and stocky, with dark, bushy hair, a wide nose and stubble.