TWO people have been charged by police investigating a distraction burglary which happened while an elderly woman lay dying upstairs in bed.

Detectives have now charged Steven Morris and Kelly Cassidy, both of Nelson, with the offences.

The distraction burglary took place at around 3am on October 16, at an address on Walter Street, Brierfield, when the householder, who is in his 80s, went into the street, leaving the door open, to get help for his wife.

A man and woman were reported to have entered the property and offered to telephone for an ambulance while the pensioner went upstairs to sit with his wife, who died later that day.

After the incident a purse and a mobile phone were found to be missing and later reported stolen.

Following enquiries and an appeal to the public detectives arrested two people on suspicion of burglary.

Steven Morris, 45 and Kelly Cassidy, 42, both of Southfield Street, Nelson, have both now been charged with burglary.

Morris is also charged with a separate attempted burglary on the same day.

Both are due to appear before Blackburn Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday, October 28).