AN 86-year-old woman lost £200, her purse and pension card following a distraction burglary in West Oxfordshire.

At about 10am on Tuesday a man entered the woman’s home in Parkside, North Leigh.

The man told the woman that he required further payment for previous work carried out trimming a tree in her garden.

The elderly woman offered him some cash, but the man informed her that it was not enough so she went to get more money.

She returned shortly with her purse that contained approximately £200.

At this point the man has asked the woman for a glass of water, before leaving the address.

It was later on that the woman realised her purse had been stolen, along with her pension card.

Det Sgt Dick White said: "I would once again urge people to be vigilant to those who come calling door-to-door.

"Always keep your doors secure, even when inside the property, and never let someone into your home without verifying who they are.

"This is the time of year when we start to see more incidents like this, with people posing as tree surgeons, gardeners and various other tradesmen.

"Never accept the offer of work from someone calling at your door without checking their credentials and the credentials of the company they claim to be from and talking with someone else who you trust.

"You should never agree to have work done by someone who is just passing who says the work needs to be done, and never allow yourself to be pressured into paying for work they haven’t done.

"If at any time you feel uncomfortable then call the police, either via the 24 hour non-emergency number on 08458 505505, or 999 in an emergency."

Anyone with information should call Det Sgt White on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.