A regional daily has launched a bid to protect its patch’s pensioners after reporting on an OAP with dementia being conned out of more than £30,000.

The Paisley Daily Express has announced the launch of its Protect Our Pensioners campaign after covering how Thomas Ponsonby, 89, was duped by bogus workmen into paying for work that wasn’t needed.

The Express splashed on Mr Ponsonby’s story yesterday in a bid to raise awareness of the issue in print among older readers who may not see online warnings about such scams.

It is also hoped the campaign will lead to an increase in the reporting of doorstep crime so police can target thieves more effectively.

Express editor Gavin McInally said:”“The story of a vulnerable pensioner being duped into handing over their savings to a doorstep con man is one that features in our pages all too often.

“The impact these sickening crimes have on the victims and their families is literally life-changing, with many OAPs never fully recovering from having their privacy breached in such an awful way.

“The thought that some of the most vulnerable people in our communities feel unsafe in their homes when they should be enjoying their retirement is what sparked this campaign.

“If by raising awareness of this ongoing issue through Protect Our Pensioners encourages just one reader to turn away a potential thief and save themselves and their family from the heartache of becoming a victim to a bogus caller, it will be worth every column inch.”