JEWELLERY valued at £950 was stolen by a callous thief who entered the home of an 83-year-old lady.

The thief knocked on the door of the house in Ramsey Avenue, Blackpool, and asked if she could use the toilet.

The lady invited her and a teenage girl and boy she was with into the house.

When inside the thief, who said she was called Karen, went upstairs and searched the bedrooms where she stole jewellery including a gold necklace in the shape of a snake with emerald eyes, and a three-ounce link gold chain.

The incident occurred at noon on February 6.

"Karen" and the other girl looked approximately 14 years of age and one was wearing a dark skirt and top.

The other member of the group was a 16-year-old male who is described as being tall and wearing a baseball cap.

A 66-year-old lady who was sitting on a bench inside Blackpool Bus Station in Talbot Road, had her purse stolen by a thief who sat down next to her.

The theft took place between 3.40pm and 4pm on February 14 when the thief reached into the lady's shopping bag, as she was distracted, and stole a navy blue purse that contained cash, a switch card, bus pass and various other items.

The thief was in his mid to late 20s and 5ft 7ins tall. He was slim, clean shaven with dirty ginger hair and was wearing a dark blue bubble jacket, blue denim jeans, tan-coloured Rockport boots and carried a Farm Foods plastic carrier bag.

A THIEF bumped into a woman in Yates's Wine Lodge on Talbot Road in Blackpool and snatched her handbag.

It occurred at 10.20pm on February 9 and the stolen bag contained a Nokia 8210 mobile phone, cash, make-up, black leather gloves and other items. There were two females involved in the theft. One is described as short and skinny with scraggly mousey-coloured hair with blonde tips.

Crimestoppers can be contacted in confidence on 0800 555 111.