Elderly man, 92, robbed for £5 in 'sickening assault' while waiting for lift in Soho tower block

The man now fears going outside, say police

The suspect turns to rob the 92-year-old man before pushing him to the floor (YouTube)

A frail man was injured by a thief who robbed him of his wallet after allegedly following him home in an attack that was caught on camera.

The 92-year-old widower was waiting for a lift with his shopping trolley in a residential tower block in Soho, London, when the suspect took his wallet before pushing him to the floor.

He left the building with the wallet containing £5 while the victim – who suffered a shoulder injury – remained on the ground while trying to understand what had happened to him.

The incident occurred at around 8pm on 31 January in the communal lobby of Ingestre Court. The suspect is thought to have followed the man home from his shopping trip.

The victim – who lives alone and has no children – did not require hospital treatment although the London Ambulance Service was called.

He appears in the video to have spoken to the suspect before he was robbed.

The thief is described as being at least 5ft 10 ins, black, of slim build, and aged between 20-30 years. He was wearing dark casual clothing and a knitted hat.

Det Sgt Gemma Alger, said: “This is a totally unprovoked, callous and sickening assault on a defenceless pensioner.

“The victim is fiercely independent and has lived in London all his life. His confidence has been eroded as a result of the actions of this individual and now he is fearful about going out.

“I would urge anyone who has any information on who was responsible to contact us as soon as possible before he targets someone else.”

Anyone with information should call police on 020 7321 7513 or 101 quoting reference 6504926/15.