A 91-year-old war veteran from west London has been "devastated" by the theft of his life savings while he slept.
In all, more than £5,000 in cash was swiped from the pensioner's sheltered flat in Hillingdon, most of it from a secret cabinet in his front room.
Now detectives are appealing for information that could lead to the recovery of the cash.
The Met's Det Const Tim Costello said: "The victim had his heart set on leaving money to his family in the event of his death.
"To say he has been devastated by the burglary and the loss of his savings is an understatement."
The raid happened between 9pm on Thursday and 1am on Friday, when the victim woke up.
He saw the light on in his front room before making the distressing find.
Det Const Costello added: "While the victim is 91, he lives a fairly independent life and has spent much of the last few years saving money for his bills and day-to-day living.
"Our investigation to identify and arrest the person or persons responsible is ongoing and we have collected CCTV and undertaken forensic work, and are following other lines of enquiry.
"I would also like to appeal to anyone who may have information about this burglary and who committed it to contact the police on 101.
"I would like to reassure anyone worried about contacting the police that they will be treated with the utmost sensitivity. If you prefer to remain anonymous, please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
