A thief tricked a pensioner into thinking he had won a charity competition before stealing £60 from his coat pocket.

At around 7pm on Monday, a caller came to the door of a 76-year-old man's home in Windrush Close, Kingsend, Bicester.

He told the elderly man he had won a doormat and a pair of slippers in a charity contest and needed a pen to write down the details.

The victim went to get a pen, and on his return, the caller said he had to go and fetch something.

The victim returned inside, leaving the door open, and heard a noise upstairs, at which point he locked the front door and went to investigate.

He found the thief in one of the bedrooms. The man claimed he was looking for a piece of paper to write on.

After the thief left the house, the pensioner later found £60 had been stolen from a coat pocket.

Pc Sally Moore said: "The victim has been left very shaken by this incident.

"I would encourage anyone who may have witnessed this incident, or saw anything suspicious in the area, to please get in touch."

Anyone with information should call Pc Moore on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.