AN ELDERLY woman has become the victim of a cowardly conman who stole her bankcard after duping her into checking her purse.

The 88-year-old woman was approached by a man who told her she had dropped £10 and then repeatedly insisted she checked her purse to see if the money was missing. When the woman did this, the man handed her a £10 note before shaking her hand to say goodbye.

After the offender left, the woman realised that her bank card was missing from her purse.

The theft took place on Friday at around 10.30am on Lanchester’s Front Street. The suspect th en attempted to use the card at the Spar cash machine nearby.

A spokesperson from Durham Constabulary said: “This was a cowardly theft which left the elderly victim upset.

“We are looking to identify the suspect in the CCTV image in connection with this incident. If you recognise this man, please get in touch”.

The man is described as around 6ft 1, medium build with hair shaven at the side wearing blue jeans and brown leather jacket.

Anyone with information should contact Durham Police on 101.