A "DESPICABLE" thief stole a four-figure sum of cash from a pensioner.

The 84-year-old woman was robbed in her home by another woman who pretended to know her.

The thief visited the woman at her house in East Road, Irvine, North Ayrshire at around 2.45pm on Friday.

She chatted to the OAP for an hour after being allowed into the property.

Once the woman left, the elderly householder noticed that the cash was missing. Police have launched an appeal for witnesses following the incident.

The suspect is described as white, around 30, slim and with brown hair in a pony tail.

She was wearing a blue jumper or a cardigan and a knee- length skirt.

Detective Constable Alex Greig, of Irvine Police Office, appealed for information and said: "People who target elderly members of the public in their own homes are despicable."