A man posing as a gas engineer stole hundreds of pounds from a pensioner in a distraction burglary.

Police are warning people not to leave large sums of money in their homes after the burglary in Hawksmoor Road, Cutteslowe, Oxford, which took place between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on Monday.

A man wearing a blue uniform and gloves came to the door asking to check a gas leak and told the 86-year-old resident to wait in the kitchen.

Later the elderly woman discovered £300 had been stolen and several items had been moved. The burglar is described as white, in his 30s or 40s, medium build with very short brown hair wearing a blue jacket, trousers and white gloves.

Pc Alex Gill said: "Some older people keep large amounts of cash in their homes for convenience sake.

"We want friends, families and carers of the elderly to think about helping them find different methods to manage their finances to reduce those amounts.

"However, it's the invasion of their homes and loss of security that upsets elderly victims as much as, if not more, than the material loss."

Anyone with information on the burglary should contact police on 08458 505 505 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.