An 'appalled' shipping executive has offered a reward to find the tricksters who conned an 83-year-old lady out of all of her life savings.

Tony Coughlin, who is acting chairman of the Thurrock Residents' Association, is offering £500 to anyone with information that leads to a conviction from the "ruthless" crime.

The woman, who lives off of Oxford Avenue in Grays, was targeted after she responded to a business card she received in the post advertising garden work.

The tricksters charged the woman £6,000 for a small amount of gardening work, and even snuck inside her house to steal her life savings.

Mr Coughlin said: "I'm just appalled by what's happened and I can't believe people can stoop so low.

"I just want the public to know that anyone who does know something can get £500.

"£500 is not much but it may entice people to come forwards."

The victim, who has not been named, was tricked on Friday July 24.

She called the number on the business card she picked up and was visited at her home by four men and a boy, thought to be aged between eight and nine. The group told the woman they would at first charge her £4,000 to clear her small garden, which they were paid, but later asked for an additional £2,000 in payment.

The men carried out the work, remaining at the home for a few hours. The woman was asked by the group to inspect the work they had done and whilst the woman was in the garden, one of the group gained access to her home and stole her life savings from her bedroom and a further £50 from her purse.

Before they left, the group asked the woman for a further payment and even drove her to a nearby cash point to get the money out. They left the woman in Grays High Street and when she returned home she discovered her life savings had been taken.

Detectives are now investigating the incident which has left the elderly victim heartbroken.

Det Con Nick Rawlins of Grays CID said: "This crime was utterly ruthless. This woman placed her trust in these individuals by allowing them into her home to carry out paid work.

"Instead they preyed upon her, charging her an extortionate amount of money for a small amount of work and stealing her life savings.

"I would urge anyone who might know who these men are or saw them in the area to come forward to help us catch them.”

The man, described as being in charge of the group, was white, aged around 25, 5ft 10ins tall, of broad build and wore dark clothing. It is believed he and his accomplices may have been in a '15' plate white Ford Transit type vehicle, which had a caged area on the back and was towing a yellow wood chipper.

Witnesses to the incident can contact detectives at Grays CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.