Two men who bound and gagged two elderly ladies, causing one to have a heart attack, before burgling their houses have been convicted.

Peter Lindsay, 42 of Cromwell Road, Caterham and Leonard Carr, 46 (3/02/1965) of Greyhound Lane, Streatham forced their way into the Croydon homes the ladies on January 28 and February 2 this year.

The men followed their victims home on buses, bound them with such force it caused bruising and covered their heads.

The pair would cut the main telephone wires, steal the victims' mobile phones and lock the victims within their own homes.

On January 28 they followed an elderly lady as she walked from Iceland in Thornton Heath to her home. As she got to her door she was attacked from behind by the pair, who forced her onto the floor in her house and bound and gagged her.

They then stole cash and jewellery and demanded her pin number for her debit card. The victim gave the wrong number and the suspects left.

But they returned later demanding the correct pin number.

After the incident the victim was admitted to hospital where she stayed for eight days after suffering a heart attack. Lindsay and Carr also stole a mobile phone from the victim.

The second offence occurred on February 2.

The victim was followed home after getting off a bus from the town centre.

Moments after entering her house she answered her door and Lindsay and Carr pushed her into the hallway and told her to "shut up or I'll kill you."

One suspect bound her hands and feet, her face was forced into the floor causing scraping and she suffered an injury to her chest.

The pair stole credit cards, a large quantity of jewellery, mobile phone and a Fujitsu-Siemens laptop computer which was later found in the home of Lindsay.

He claimed in interview he had bought it for £100 from a person he was not prepared to name.

Carr was arrested for these offences on February 6 and Lindsay was arrested on the February 16.

On August 17 they were found guilty of aggravated burglary.

Both are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on September 29.

Detective Sergeant, Louise Knipe, from the Met's Croydon borough said: "Both men denied the offences and they have shown no remorse for their violent crimes.

"They left their elderly victims injured, in one case suffering a heart attack and very shaken. I am pleased that the jury seen through their lies and hope that the conviction brings some small comfort to their victims."