POLICE have spoken out against "despicable" thieves who raided the home of an 81-year-old woman and stole her life savings after pushing her to the ground.

The burglars, some of whom posed as police officers, got away with more than £6,000 which the pensioner, from Wonford, had saved for her grandchildren The vulnerable victim was restrained and forced to the floor during the ordeal in Briar Crescent, off Burnthouse Lane.

She was left shaken and upset by the burglary.

She had been weeding in the front garden of her semi-detached home when a man appeared asking if she needed any building work at around 3.45pm on Tuesday.

As she spoke to him she realised two men were inside her home and she went in to confront them in the living room.

They claimed to be police officers investigating a crime.

She noticed her bureau had been forced open and cash taken.

The burglars then demanded to know if there was more money in the house and they searched a cupboard where they found thousands of pounds in cash.

The man who had pretended to be a builder came into the house and restrained the elderly woman and she was pushed to the ground.

They took the cash and left, running off down the road.

The suspects are described as white men, two aged 20 to 30, and the other about 40.

They all had short dark hair and were very smartly dressed in white long sleeved open-neck shirts and dark trousers.

Police are appealing to anyone who saw three men coming from a house in Briar Crescent at the time or acting suspiciously in the area to come forward.

They also want to know if anyone saw the men getting into a vehicle nearby.

The woman, who lost her husband in the 1950s and brought up her two children on her own, was bruised when she was forced to the ground.

She had planned to give a thousand pounds to each of her five grandchildren.

Det Con Adrian Moffatt, officer on the case, said: "It is a despicable crime on a lady of 81, who was pushed to the ground during the burglary.

"The money taken was life savings that she had accumulated for her grandchildren.

"Anyone who can help us catch the offenders should contact police."

Scenes of crime officers have been to the house to collect forensic evidence and police have carried out door-to-door inquiries in the area.

Anyone with information about the culprits should contact police on 08452 777444 or Crimestoppers aon 0800 555111 quoting DE/07/4415.