Brave Alan Wild, 54, spoke exclusively to the Observer about his ordeal at the hands of drug fiend Yogina Limbachia – a disgraced 28-year-old mum-of-one.

Amputee Mr Wild, who suffers from chronic lung disease, fell for Limbachia's sob story after she knocked on his door saying she was stranded and needed to use his phone.

Mr Wild, who lost his leg after being hit by a car aged 16, said: "I was watching Manchester United play when there was frantic knocking at the door.

"I'm an ex-army man so I'm usually very security conscious but that time I wasn't.

"While my back was turned she had my wallet away – it had all my cards in it and about £140 cash."

Full story in this week's Observer