Police in north Belfast appeal for information after an elderly woman was attacked and robbed on Tuesday

DETECTIVES have appealed for information after an 86-year-old woman was assaulted and robbed at her north Belfast home.

They believe the victim may have been followed by her attacker to the house in the Skegoneill area around 2 pm on.

Police say the woman had been at a post office in Belfast city centre earlier on Tuesday before getting a bus to the Cavehill Road.

After getting off the bus she walked the short distance to her house.

She was only home around 30 seconds when there was a knock on the door.

On answering it she found a man on her doorstep saying he had been cutting down trees on waste ground at the back and asked for access through her house to get to her garden to check that nothing had fallen into her garden.

The elderly woman refused to let him into the house, but said he could go into the back garden via a side path.

She followed him down the path, at which point he attacked her snatch her handbag after pulling her to the ground.

He went back to the front of the house with her bag, which contained cash, bank cards and personal belongings, then walked towards the Old Cavehill Road where he was seen meeting up with another man.

They both then continued walking down the Old Cavehill Road towards the Antrim Road.

The robber was described as in his early 30s, tall, dark, slim, with dark eyes, one of the eyes described as “funny-looking”.

He spoke with an Irish accent and was wearing blue jeans and a blue top. The other was described as similar looking.

The PSNI say the pensioner was very shaken and was treated by paramedics at her Skegoneill home.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives on 0845 600 8000.