Vigilant Alison Redmayne is warning fellow householders to be on their guard for a gang of young boys targeting homes.

Mrs Redmayne, 62, of Blenheim Drive, north Oxford, called police after three boys aged 11-15 came to her door on Sunday afternoon.

The youngsters, who were carrying buckets and cloths, asked if they could wash Mrs Redmayne's car and became abusive when she refused.

After they had walked away from her doorstep, she went outside and saw that a fourth boy had joined them in the street.

But all four took to their heels when she produced a camera and attempted to take a photograph of them. Mrs Redmayne later noticed a footprint in a pool of oil in her garage, which had been partly open when the youngsters knocked at her door.

She suspects the boys at her door had attempted to distract her while the fourth searched her garage for things to steal.

Mrs Redmayne, a self-employed social anthropologist, said: "When I told them I did not want my car washing they became abusive and were very persistent.

"They were quite happy to stand there because I think they knew that their colleague was in the garage."

Mrs Redmayne gave a statement to police and warned neighbours to be vigilant. Nothing was stolen from her garage.

Story date: Tuesday 11 May

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