THE Halifax has refunded £4,600 to a customer in a “goodwill gesture” after she had her money stolen by con artists outside its Oxford city centre branch.

Violet Burnejko, 84, of West Oxford, and her daughter Pauline Driver, 60, were outside the bank by the Westgate shopping centre in December when two women and a man distracted them.

It is thought the gang squeezed ketchup in their hair then claimed to be helping by trying to wipe it off.

But when Ms Driver put her handbag containing the cash on the floor to help her mother, one of the gang grabbed it and fled.

Halifax spokesman Alex Barnett said: “We’ve refunded £4,600 as a gesture of goodwill in light of Mrs Burnejko’s long-standing relationship with the bank.”

The branch has now added extra security, which includes screens preventing would-be thieves looking in through the windows at customers. It is not known if the gang who robbed Mrs Burnejko and Ms Driver had spotted them in this way withdrawing the money.

Police released CCTV images taken during the theft, which happened at about 3.30pm on Monday, December 1.

One of the women in the gang was described as slender and about 5ft 4in tall.

The second woman was aged 40 to 45 with dark shoulder-length hair.

The man was dark-skinned, aged 40 to 50, about 5ft 9in tall, and of stocky build. He was wearing a dark-coloured flat cap and coat, and spoke with a foreign accent.

Police spokesman Chris Kearney said officers had traced a woman who was seen on CCTV, but she was no longer part of their enquiries.

Anyone with information should call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 500111.