A 69-year-old was pushed out of the way by burglars who burst into her Banbury home.

At around 4pm on Friday, the woman was putting out rubbish at her home in The Fairway, when three men followed her back to the house and forced their way in.

Two of the men pushed the woman on to her sofa and made her wait while the third man went upstairs to search for valuables. While upstairs, he knocked down the woman’s locked bedroom door, and stole a sum of money.

All three men were white, and one was wearing glasses and a raincoat.

Det Con Sam Burley said: “This was a nasty thing to do, particularly to a vulnerable member of the community. We are appealing for anyone who may know something about the incident or the offenders.”

“We want to advise residents of Banbury to be extra vigilant when people try to gain entry to their houses, either by following them in, or by posing as representatives of a company, organisation or group. Always ask to see their identity card, and it is also worth calling the company to confirm the visitor's identity.”

If you have any information about the incident, please contact Det Con Burley at Banbury CID via 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to the police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.