CROOKS stole a pensioner’s purse and emptied her bank account of hundreds of pounds while she recovered in hospital.

Eileen Retallick was at Southend Hospital recovering with lung condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, when she was targeted by thieves.

The 82-year-old said: “I was rushed to hospital very quickly.

“I was in A&E and then the acute medical unit and then later the Princess Anne ward at the hospital.

“I was on a drip and my bag was by my bed and someone took my purse and notebook with my pin number in it.

“I was in hospital for about six weeks and when I came out they had taken £365 from my reserve bank account.

“I needed that money to pay for insurance on my home which was about £400.”

But when the pensioner contacted her bank, Santander, she was told the firm is under no obligation to refund the money because she had left the card near to her pin number.

Mrs Retallick, from Southend, added: “They have not been helpful at all and I’ve been with them for many years.”

She has since written to the Financial Ombudsman and says an investigation has been launched into the situation.

She added: “I don’t use this bank account very often it is just a reserve so I don’t memorise the pin number for it.

“I have been left feeling terrible about what has happened.

“When I get my card out at the shops I am still shaking.”

MrsRetallick added: “I read about someone else who has been affected by this and it made me feel compelled to speak out.

"I don’t think who did this is just targeted me and it could be one person.I feel like Santander have blamed me for the money being taken.”

Essex Police confirmed an investigation has been launched and urged anyone with information to call 101.

Denise Townsend, Director of Nursing at Southend University Hospital, said: “We take alleged thefts very seriously and any instances are addressed and investigated internally by hospital security, and patients and visitors can report alleged thefts to staff who will log them on our incident reporting system."

A Santander spokeswoman added: “As [this] case is currently with the Financial Ombudsman Service, we are unable to comment further on it.”