THIEVES broke into a pensioner's home and subjected her to a terrifying attack before escaping with more than £400 which she had been saving for Christmas presents.

It is the second time 84-year-old Nancy Brown has been the victim of thieves, having lost £500 in a distraction burglary 18 months ago.

The widow went to bed at about 9.45pm on Wednesday evening, when two men forced open the door of her house, in Pershore Road, Evesham.

The brave pensioner heard the noise downstairs and went to investigate only to find the intruders in her house.

One man searched upstairs while the other covered the pensioner's mouth when she started shouting.

They then searched downstairs, ransacking the place and ripping the phone out, before finding a jar containing around £400, £300 of which she collected days before as her winter fuel allowance.

"I went to bed and heard a noise and didn't take much notice," she said.

"The next thing I knew there was a terrible banging noise and I came down and saw two men in my house.

"One man went up the stairs and the other one had his back to me and wouldn't let me go," she said.

"I asked them 'what are you doing this for, are you on drugs?' and they said, 'yes, we are junkies.'

After the intruders left, Mrs Brown alerted police from her neighbour's home. The latest ordeal has frightened her so much she does not want to return to her house alone.

Her son Gordon, aged 63, a retired teacher from Llandinam, Wales, said he was appalled.

"It's a terrible shame - she's 85 next week and what kind of birthday present is this from two thugs?"

The first offender is described as white, slim, 5ft 6ins tall and wearing a navy blue coat, light-blue jeans and a woolly hat, while his accomplice is about 30 years old, of stocky build, with short, dark hair and unshaven.

He had a few days' growth of goatee beard, and was wearing a navy blue coat.

Anyone with information should call police on 08457 444 888, quoting 615S/191103.