Nottinghamshire Police hunting Phil Mitchell lookalike after disabled gran tied up and robbed in her home
The bald thug knocked on Debbie Sanderson’s front door claiming he had a letter for her husband David, 73, stating he owed him £7,500.
But after handing her the envelope, he barged past the multiple sclerosis sufferer, and dragged her into the front room.
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Hide AdHe tied up the terrified 59-year-old gran-of-one with cable ties before grabbing her pet dog Eddie and threatening to strangle it if she made a noise.
Incredibly, Debbie managed to wriggle free from her restraints and dashed out the front door and raised the alarm.
The thief ran out the house carrying Eddie under his arm before dropping the dog and fleeing on foot.
The shocking raid happened in broad daylight when the thug targeted Debbie’s home on George Road, Carlton, Nottingham, on October 23.
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Hide AdThe crook escaped with nine watches, two silver necklaces worth about £3,000 and more than £50 from her purse.
Debbie, who owns a microchip car key company with her husband, said: “A man came to my back door.
“I opened the door ajar. He said ‘I’m Dave’s friend – will you give him this’ and he handed me an envelope.
“He then took hold of my wrist, pushed me inside and said he had come to collect a debt.
“He said ‘do as you’re told and I won’t hurt you’.
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Hide Ad“He pushed me inside the lounge. I said ‘what debt?’ and he said ‘never mind’.
“He pulled out cable ties and tied me up.
“He held one of the dogs by the throat and tried to strangle it. He said he would kill the dog if I didn’t do what he said.
“I begged him to put the dog down.
“He walked me through to the back room and started ransacking the room.
“He said ‘where’s your money?’.
“I turned a jewellery box upside down and told him to take the lot.
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Hide Ad“He picked a couple of nice pieces up. He started taking all my husband’s watches, putting them in his pockets, with the dog under his arm.
“He walked me back into the bedroom and pushed me onto the bed.
“He asked me where the gold was and I said we don’t have any gold at all.
“He started going room to room.
“I was thinking how I would get out of this situation.
“When he tied my hands up, he didn’t notice that I hadn’t got my wrists close together.
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Hide Ad“I had wiggle room in the ties and managed to get my hands out.
“I slipped my slippers off and ran out the back door while his back was turned.
“He shouted ‘come back or I will kill the dog’.
“I ran up the road and raised the alarm.
“He threw the dog down and ran.
“I was scared and I have been scared since.
“Every car that goes by, I wonder if it’s him coming back.
“I don’t trust anybody anymore and while he’s still out there I won’t feel safe.
"He looked like Phil Mitchell from EastEnders. I just hope someone recognises him and calls the police."
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Hide AdNottinghamshire Police have released CCTV footage of the suspect walking in a car park around the time of the robbery.
A spokesperson said: “The offender is white, believed to be in his 40s and is about 5ft 5ins tall.
“He is of large build and had a shaved or bald head. He was wearing a dark North Face zip-up jacket without a hood, dark trousers and dark trainers.”
Facebook user Liam Bennett wrote on the force’s page: “Looks like Phil Mitchell from back ere.”
Jane Frost added: “Fat Phil’s up to his old tricks again... Can’t be that hard to spot. Just try the Queen Vic!”
Anyone with any information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101.