A brave Fife OAP foiled a burglar and scared him off by calling him a “wee s***e” only to find he stole her cigarettes and lighter – two days before her 90th birthday.
Micheline Stephen was stunned to find a man in her kitchen, and tried to yank him by the rucksack he was wearing to stop him escaping.
But when Ms Stephen – known to friends in Cupar as Michelle – reached for a relaxing cigarette she found the man had taken them, and her lighter.
The outraged OAP, who was born in France and drinks a Martini every day, fears the culprit may strike again and wants other people to be alert.
Ms Stephen, who celebrated her 90th birthday two days later on Sunday, said: “I told him that he was a wee s****.”
The man tried to escape out a window but the sprightly granny, who had mistaken him for her grandson, tried to stop him.
She said: “I noticed it was not my grandson but a young man. He had a rucksack on his back.
“I tried to pull him in but I couldn’t bring him back and had to let him go. I just wanted to see his face and stop him.
“How dare he come to an old person’s home to do that?
“I’m old but some people are much worse than I am and would not have put up a fight – I want other people to stay vigilant.”
Proud daughter Earenne said: “We are having a laugh but we realise that it could have been nasty.
“She was protecting her home.”
The incident happened last Friday at 8.20am.
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “We received a report around 9.35am on Friday November 20 of a housebreaking at a property on Hill Street in Cupar.”
