COPS have released CCTV footage of the moment a lone elderly woman was surrounded by a gang of thieves in a lift who stole £1,000 from her handbag.

The 69-year-old withdrew the money from Lloyds Bank in Ilford, East London, before heading back to her daughter's car.

5 This is the horrific moment three thugs stole £1,000 from an elderly woman's handbag in a lift Credit: Metropolitan Police

As she entered the lift at the Exchange shopping centre on July 26 this year, two thugs, described as being from Eastern Europe, sheepishly followed her in.

The thief who wore a green jacket, blue jeans and blue trainers, described as being in his 30s, pressed a button.

His accomplice who wore a grey suit jacket over blue jeans, said to be in his 40s with receding hair, appeared to distract her, asking which button she had pressed.

The woman chatted to the two men as a woman with bleached hair in her 40s, searched through her bag and stole the cash.

5 The woman described as being in her 40s, was the first to follow the 69-year-old into the shopping centre lift Credit: Metropolitan Police

5 CCTV footage caught the first time the thug tried to snatch the woman's cash from her bag Credit: Metropolitan Police

5 After a failed attempt, the other thieves distract the woman, asking which button she had pressed Credit: Metropolitan Police

5 As their accomplice takes the cash from her bag, these two thugs were filmed smiling with delight

Officers from the Metropolitan Police said she only realised her savings had been stolen when she entered her daughter's car.

At one point, the two male thugs are filmed smiling as their female accomplice sneakily searches through her bag.

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Appealing for information, PC Carl Repper, from the East Area Command, said: "We are appealing for any information as to the identity of these three suspects.

"The victim has lost a large amount of her savings as a result of her ordeal."

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