A WAR veteran and his wife were conned out of their savings by two burglars posing as undercover policemen.

Ernie Stewart, 75, and his wife Jackie, 68, were watching television at home in Balfour Road, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, when two men burst into their living room claiming to be police officers investigating a burglary.

While the couple checked their second-floor flat for missing valuables the two burglars stole more than £1,000 in cash from a chest of drawers.

Most of the money had been put aside for the couple to spend at Christmas.

Grandfather-of-three Mr Stewart won service medals for fighting in the Korean War and is disabled in one arm.

He said last night: "It was one hell of a shock. I think it's the most despicable thing you can do to rob old age pensioners.

His wife added: "I'm just a bag of nerves now. I've struggled to eat and sleep ever since."

The burglars got in by forcing a communal door. The couple's front door was unlocked and it appears the burglars searched the bedroom before approaching the couple in the front room.

Mrs Stewart, who works part-time at The Queen's College in Oxford, said the men walked into their living room at about 5.45pm on Friday and shouted: "We are undercover police officers and you are being robbed."

One of the conmen even pointed out of a window claiming to show the couple one of the burglars in a car with police outside.

When the burglars took the couple to their ransacked bedroom, Mrs Stewart checked to see if cash they had saved was still in the chest of drawers.

But they believe it allowed the men to spot where the cash was stashed and they later grabbed £1,175 when the couple's backs were turned.

They also stole £100 cash from a purse in the living room and £40 in £2 coins from a wardrobe.

Mrs Stewart said: "We really thought it was true because they were so calm and convincing about it and pointed out to a car which had one of the burglars and where one had ran away. But right at the end, when I saw a sock on his hand, I knew we'd been had.

"But I was scared I was in the room on my own and I thought I might be attacked."

They said they had now put a new chainlock on their door.

The men were both white, aged between 35 and 40 and spoke with a local accent.

One burglar was about 5ft 4in with an average build, clean shaven, scruffy, dressed in a dark sweatshirt, dark trousers and dark shoes.

The second man was 5ft 9in with dark, scruffy hair and stubble on his face, wearing a blue and white checked shirt and dark trousers.

Anyone with information should contact police on 08458 505505 or speak anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.