Caroler a Scrooge--Robs Widow

A 95-year-old widow gave a Christmas caroler a glass of lemonade and some spare change only to discover later that he had stolen her savings from her purse, police said.

The schoolboy stole 95 pounds (about $174) from Annie Thomas after singing carols on her doorstep, Detective Inspector John Davies said this week.

After singing “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Good King Wenceslaus,” the teen-ager asked Thomas for a glass of water, Davies said.

“Good gracious, young man, it’s Christmas,” she replied. “You can have better than that.”

As she went to fetch a glass of lemonade, he took all her life savings from her purse, which was resting on a table. He drank the lemonade, accepted her 30 pence (about 55 cents) for his caroling and left.

“We have seasoned officers who are used to dealing with criminals, but they are shocked about what happened to Mrs. Thomas,” Davies said.