Burglars stole an elderly woman's handbag after she disturbed them in her house.

One of the thieves pushed the victim out of their way after she found them in her home in Greenbury Close, Chorleywood yesterday.

The criminals had forced open a locked inner porch door after getting in through an unlocked uPVC front door shortly after 8pm.

One burglar searched a spare room while a second stood in the hall and a third man waited outside.

The woman, who is in her 80s, was disturbed by the noise and walked into the hall from a back room.

The burglars left, and one of them took the woman's handbag on the way out.

Sgt Neil Canning of Rickmansworth Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “Understandably this was a very distressing incident for the victim and we are working hard to catch the offenders. If you have any information that could assist our investigation, I would urge you to contact police as soon as possible.

“While I can appreciate that this offence will be alarming to many residents, I would like to reassure people that Hertfordshire is a safe place to live and work and this type of crime is very unusual. The vast majority of burglaries occur in properties that are unoccupied."

Anyone with information should call the Hertfordshire Constabulary non-emergency number 101 or can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at www.crimestoppers-uk.org