CONMAN POSING AS MONSIGNOR.

Byline: HARRY WALSH

HE looks like a priest, dresses like a priest and even has documentation - but gardai believe "Monsignor J Dalton" is an impersonator.

It follows reports that a man with an English accent who has visited a number of public buildings in Letterkenny, Co Donegal over the past week, has been caught on CCTV stealing a purse from a woman's bag.

A Garda spokesman said: "The man went into one public building in the town on Friday last saying one of his parishioners - an 83-year-old man originally from Letterkenny - had died in Birmingham and that the man's wife wanted to donate archive papers and pictures of the town from years ago.

"When the woman working there left the room for a minute the man is shown on CCTV putting his hand into her handbag and stealing her purse.

"He continued to chat to the woman on her return for a number of minutes before making good his escape.

"We would ask people in Donegal and further afield to remain vigilant."

The man is 5ft 9ins with sallow skin and wore a silver ring with blue metal on the middle finger of his right hand.