TERRIFIED grandmother Hilda Conway is facing a life behind bars to protect herself from the thieves and burglars plaguing her estate.

The 85-year-old has turned her home into a fortress -- with bars over the windows -- after a burglar broke into her house. She spent almost £300 on her drastic security measures after waking up to find an intruder rummaging through cupboards in her bedroom.

The youth stole money and irreplaceable family heirlooms.

And the Evening News can tonight reveal that Mrs Conway is not alone in installing the prison-style security bars.

She is the SIXTH pensioner in her Farnworth neighbourhood to turn her house into a fortress.

Other elderly women on Beatrice Street and Sutherland Grove have also had the metal bars installed over their windows some at a cost of £1,000, because they do not feel safe in their bungalow homes.

All the homeowners who spoke to the BEN had a story to tell about being burgled. Today they urged police and council chiefs to do more to stop the criminals targeting them.

Mrs Conway, who moved to the area from Kearsley three years ago, woke up in the middle of the night to discover a man ransacking her bedroom.

She said: "It was so upsetting and I'm constantly on pins now. The bars don't look pretty, but I have to try and protect myself."

She added: "But why do we have to keep forking out when we are only on pensions and these are council-owned properties?

"Security needs to be improved. The warden is always telling us to keep our doors locked because someone has been seen trying to break in."

Another pensioner Agnes Smith, aged 89, of Sutherland Grove, revealed that her sister Irene Lord died last year, shortly after an intruder broke into the bungalow they shared.

"He knocked me to the ground after he had stolen Irene's money," she said. "She was never the same afterwards. It's such a shock finding someone in your home.

"I used to go out a lot, but I stay in the house now."

Another neighbour, 72-year-old Winifred Evans, urged Bolton Council to install fences at the rear of the properties to give everyone a private garden. She has not got bars on her windows -- yet.

She said: "The fence would improve security. I don't want bars on my windows. It must be awful waking up to them in the morning. "It's like turning your bungalow into a prison."

A Bolton Council spokesman said the security of residents is of concern.

He added: "We want people to feel safe in their homes and if there are problems, we want to talk about them.

"We will work with residents and police to see what we can do to help."

Janet Fletcher, of Help the Aged's regional office in Horwich, said she was "saddened" to hear that older people are having to live in fear.

"They have worked hard all their lives and brought their families up. At this time they should feel safe and not have to worry about security in their own homes."

She added: "However, it's a sad fact of life that thousands of older people every year suffer burglaries or break-ins." She said elderly people could pick up leaflets about crime and security from Help the Aged shops and they could also get advice on the freephone help line, 0808 800 6565.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed the burglary at Mrs Conway's home is still being investigated.

He urged the elderly people to take all precautions to try and make sure they do not become a victim of crime.