Thieves distracted a disabled man as they stole his purse in an Oxford street.

The victim suffers from a kind of palsy, has a splint in one leg, walks with a frame and cannot see or hear very well.

Two youths targeted him as he walked from Barton to Headington. The 49-year-old had stopped for a rest in Edgecombe Road, Barton, between 10.30am and 11am on Saturday, July 23.

Police spokesman Tim Wiseman said: "Two black youths came up to him and started chatting about the weather. One of them snatched a purse with £10 in it, and they fled on push bikes."

The man's mother reported the theft to the police when she found out about it later that day.

She said: "My son has never done a thing to harm anyone. He is a kind and helpful man, and it's disgraceful that these boys have taken what little money he has from him.

"It was a blessing that his bank card was in a different pocket.

"He was never going to be able to chase them or defend himself and it is completely cowardly that they chose him as their victim."

Det Sgt John Linsdell, of Oxford Robbery Team, said the purse might have been dumped. It was black, with a belt loop. Call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.