POLICE have urged witnesses to come forward after a thief strolled into an amusements arcade and stole cash hidden in a safe.

The unknown man targeted the store at Cowley's Templars Shopping Centre on Tuesday.

Officers rushed to Cashino after reports the thief had made off with the money just after 9am.

Witnesses spotted security guards 'running all over the place' during what they believed to be a robbery, while one man told the Oxford Mail a woman was allegedly locked in the toilet.

But force spokeswoman Holly Claydon-Bevan confirmed the offender was unarmed during the heist and officers were investigating the crime as theft.

The suspect fled in the direction of Blackbird Leys after setting his sights on the store, the force revealed.

Shopping centre manager Owen Acland confirmed no one was hurt during the incident.

The thief is described as a white man, with light-coloured short hair, approximately 50 years old, of medium build and around 5ft 3ins to 5ft 7ins.

He was wearing light blue jeans, a dark grey hooded jumper with a lighter trim around the hood, and a plain black rucksack.

Investigating officer PC Lucy Harvey from Oxford Force CID said: “This was a very frightening incident for the staff members involved and we are determined to identify and locate the offender.

“If you have any information which could assist with the investigation, please call our 24-hour enquiry centre on 101, quoting incident number 272 of 9 May.”