AN 87-year-old war widow has been robbed of most of her life savings by a callous conwoman.

Ellen Shepherd had just returned home after withdrawing £1,500 in cash from her village post office when the well-spoken thief struck.

Posing as a council warden, she conned her way into Mrs Shepherd's bungalow at Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, where she spotted the wad of notes on a coffee table.

While the frail pensioner was making her a cup of tea in the kitchen, she picked up the money and hid it in her handbag.

When the unsuspecting Mrs Shepherd returned to the living room with the cups of tea she immediately spotted the money had disappeared.

She said: "I tried to get hold of her handbag but she shoved me away. I then tried to stop her getting out of the house but she slammed the living room door in my face and knocked me over.

"My legs hurt, my neck is aching and I've got a swollen wrist. It has really knocked the stuffing out of me - I have never felt as old."

Mrs Shepherd said she had withdrawn the cash - which she had saved up over many years from her war pension - to pay for a holiday and an outing to the seaside.

Her husband, Sidney, died in 1940 at the age of 23 when German bombers sank the British destroyer Afridi off the Norwegian coast.

Police today described the theft as "despicable".

PC Vincent Morris said: "We are contacting elderly people in the area to warn them not to let anyone into their home without proper identification and not to keep large quantities of cash lying around in the house."

The thief may have been working with a male accomplice, who was seen knocking on neighbouring doors.

The woman is described as being in her mid-20s, with shortish blonde hair in a bob, and wearing a black skirt.

Anyone with information should contact Selby police on 01757 702596.

Updated: 10:50 Wednesday, October 08, 2003