An elderly woman was held down by a man who stole rings from her hand in Lowestoft this morning.

She was in her bedroom when she found the man in her home, who made her sit down and tried to pull her rings off her fingers.

He then demanded money, and left the home in the Princes Walk/ Normanston Drive area taking cash and jewellery including a diamond ring he pulled from her hand and some gold chains.

Suffolk Police said the woman is 'extremely distressed' and 'very shaken' by her ordeal and had to be checked over by paramedics.

Des Reynolds, who lives in Normanston Drive, said: 'It is a really shocking thing to happen in the local community and it really makes you think about elderly relatives and neighbours who are more vulnerable and clearly people are taking advantage.

'It's not something that your hear much of in Lowestoft. I work in Norwich and being a bigger city you perhaps expect there to be a bit more crime, but you come home to a much quieter area in Lowestoft and you just don't expect it.

'Hopefully it is a one-off incident and it is resolved quickly.'

Another resident who lives nearby said: 'I think it is horrendous. It's just awful, I am shocked. It is a lovely area, I walk down there quite often and you don't expect these things to happen so close to home.'

The man who broke in is described as white, and he may have been wearing a camel-coloured hooded top.

It happened at about 10.15am, and police are keen to hear from anyone who was in the area between 9.30am and 10.30am.

Officers are also keen to hear from anyone who has been offered rings or gold chains for sale today.

Contact Lowestoft CID on 101, quoting crime number 34204/17.