A gang of violent thieves were convicted yesterday after hiring a cab to target a woman coming home from a night out.

Sean Hylton and Nsimba Malungo, both 23 and of Abbey Road, Stratford, were found guilty of robbery and fraud at Kingston Crown Court.

Imran Naiim, 21, of Ranelagh Road, East Ham, was also convicted of robbery and fraud in his absence and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The fourth member of the gang, 19-year-old Younis Kamali of Priory Road, Upton Park, was found guilty of fraud but not guilty of robbery.

Kingston Crown Court heard how the gang hired a cab to cruise the capital’s streets looking for potential vulnerable victims.

In the early hours of March 1, they identified a woman who was drawing money out in Kensington High Street, and two of them got out.

One told her the cash machine was broken while the other looked as she put in her pin number, ignoring them as she drew the money out anyway.

Once she reached her home in Chiswick, she heard a knock at the door and answered it to see two men standing in the doorway.

The door was barged with such force it hit her face, knocking her to the floor as the thieves ran in and stole her handbag before fleeing.

It was later discovered that more than £2,000 had been spent on the 59-year-old’s credit card in just 12 hours.

Det Insp Neil John said: “This was a calculated and vicious attack on a lone vulnerable lady in her own home.

“A thorough and relentless investigation was undertaken by officers from the Serious and Acquisitive Crime Unit at Hounslow Police Station leading to the arrest of all the gang members who had believed they were out of reach of police.

“The conviction today today demonstrates that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

The four men will be sentenced on December 18 at Kingston Crown Court.