A TERRIFIED pensioner woke to find a burglar rifling through her handbag in her bedroom who also made off with a charity box from the fish and chip shop downstairs.

Richard Lasota, owner of Happy Little Sole, said his 88-year-old mother Helena has been left shaken and unable to sleep properly after the intruder broke into her bedroom above the takeaway in South Littleton in the early hours of Friday morning.

She woke to find a man stood in her pitch black bedroom after he switched on a torch before her screams caused him to flee.

He managed to steal a £200 float from the fish and chip chop till, an arthritis charity tin containing about £30 to £40 as well as a £20 note from Mrs Lasota's handbag.

But Mr Lasota said the most devastating thing was the effect the burglary has had on his elderly mother and is offering a £100 reward for information which leads to a successful conviction.

"It's not about the money, it is that they had the audacity to go up into her bedroom for the sake of £20.

"I don't know what they expected to steal from a fish and chip shop - I had put the float in for the following day and unfortunately they found the till drawer but if it hadn't been for that they would have only got £20 and the charity tin.

"My mother is elderly and has a heart condition and this person has actually jemmied open the door and intentionally gone into her bedroom.

"He was going through her handbag and switched the torch on which woke her up and she screamed.

"She's shook up, She could have died because she is already being treated for a weak heart."

Fortunately, his mother wears an emergency alarm pendant which she pressed to alert her son and grandchildren that something was wrong.

She described the intruder as white and about six foot three inches tall.

"I thought she had fallen over but when I arrived at about 3.30am I could see she was shaking and upset and she said she had a visitor.

"I didn't spot until I got back downstairs that they had taken the charity box and till drawer."

Mr Lasota, who lives in Cleeve Prior and is a district councillor, praised police for their rapid response and urged anyone with information to get in touch with officers.

"She is still shaken up by it all.

"It is awful for any person to have someone break into your home but we're lucky because she has been treated at the moment for a weak heart.

"This could have turned out very differently.

"I just don't understand these people."

Anyone with information should contact West Mercia Police on 101, quoting incident number 46s of 14th November.

Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or by visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.