Police are hunting a man following a burglary in Penwortham.

An elderly lady on Studholme Crescent was the victim of a distraction burglary after the man tricked his way into her house.

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At 1pm on Monday 24 June the man knocked on the front door of the property and asked to look in the back garden as his parents were interested in buying the property next door.

The lady, in her late 70s, allowed him in and he told the lady he lost his keys and a piece of paper near the fence.

He went back into the house while she looked in the garden, during this period he took the lady’s handbag and puts it in one of her shopping bags before heading off for the Kingsfold Estate.

The man is described as white, in his early 20s and around 5’10”. He was of slim build, had short, fine, blond hair and was clean shaven with a “baby face”. On the day he was wearing a pale silver/grey tracksuit top and trouers and spoke with a local accent.

DC Karen Johnson said, “We know this man was carrying a gift bag with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ on it when he arrived at the house and that during the burglary, he took a plastic coated shopping bag in green with yellow flowers on it from Carlisle Cathedral along with the victim’s Black Radley handbag which has a small gold dog on the back.

“The bag not only contained the victim’s purse with her money and all her cards but the purse also held photographs of her late husband which has been very upsetting for her. We are very keen to find the person responsible and if possible return her things to her and so I would urge anyone with any information at all to come forward.

“Even the smallest piece of information could be crucial – I would ask anyone who thinks they may recognise the description of the man, anyone who may have seen him on the day or anyone who may have noticed any other suspicious activity in the area to contact us and pass that information on.”

If anyone has any information that they think could help, please call police on 101 quoting log number LC-20130624-0628.

Alternatively, information can be passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or on-line at Crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.