AN elderly woman was robbed in a Worcester street before her home was burgled just 20 minutes later.

The victim was targeted while walking from her home in Buttermere Drive - via Shap Drive - to the Spar store in Cranham Drive, Warndon, at about 9.40pm on Wednesday.

Worcester Police believe three people - one a female - walked with her for part of the way and ascertained where she lived and what she was going to buy.

She then went to the shop on her own, but on her way back met them again. One pointed to the floor and said her house-key was there. As she bent to look, the two males grabbed her bag - containing a bottle of wine and a purse - and ran off. The female also disappeared at this point.

A police spokesman said: "When the shaken victim - who was also extremely worried about her cat that is undergoing surgery that day - reached home, about 20 minutes later, she discovered that she had also been burgled and jewellery taken from her ransacked bedroom.

"This unsuspecting victim was deliberately targeted - both for the burglary and the robbery - by a group of resourceful criminals working together to commit both crimes in a very tight time-frame."

Police refused to reveal the age of the victim.

Anyone with any information should contact officers on 08457 444 888, quoting 762S/160507 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.