Police have reassured city councillors that positive steps have been taken following a spate of violent robberies in east Oxford.

In October, the Oxford Mail reported that pensioners Bert and Gwen Silvester were attacked by three masked intruders who broke into their Magdalen Road home.

The robbers pinned Mr Silvester against a wall before robbing his wife to buy drugs.

Just one month later a gang wearing masks like those in horror movie Scream tried to rob two women in South Park.

Both women were knocked to the ground and kicked in the head and face several times. They were left shaken, but not seriously hurt.

The attack followed a similar incident an hour earlier. A group of five or six men wearing Scream masks approached two students, demanded money and threatened them with violence. The students fled before anything could be taken.

Acting Sergeant Kevin Crick, of the east Oxford police team, told city councillors that investigations into the attacks were still in the early stages.

But he said officers had taken action to address residents' concerns and an arrest for the South Park robberies was imminent.

He said: "In terms of statistics there is nothing to suggest there is an upward trend in these types of crimes.

"We have increased patrols in the area and shift officers have been asked to patrol certain areas at certain times. We have also changed some of our shift times."

Anyone with information should call police on 08458 505505, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.