A GRANDFATHER warned people to safeguard their wallets after having £2,100 cleaned out of his account within two hours.

Bryan Price, 65, left his coat on the back of his chair with his wallet in the pocket while he ate lunch with his wife Susan at the Four Candles pub in George Street, Oxford.

But when the couple went to leave Mr Price discovered his wallet had gone and within two hours the thief had withdrawn hundreds of pounds in cash three times.

As well as the £30 in Mr Price’s wallet, thieves withdrew £300 from a cash machine at Oxford Railway Station, £900 from the counter at Barclays in Cornmarket, and another £900 from the counter at Barclays in High Wycombe, within two hours of the theft, which happened at about 2pm on Monday, January 24.

Last night, Mr Price, of Aldrich Road, Cutteslowe, Oxford, said: ”My first thought was panic.

“I felt a bit sick. I said to my wife at least I wasn’t beaten up and robbed.

“I have worked for 49 years and I have earned all my money and to think it has just been taken.

“To earn £2,000 in an hour is pretty good going.

“The people who do that, I have no words to describe them. It’s despicable.”

Mr Price said: “When they told me £300 had been taken I was aghast, and they kept going saying £900 had gone and then another £900, I couldn’t believe it.

“I’ve had a few sleepless nights over it.

“I’m not destitute, but it hurts and no one can afford to lose that sort of money, no matter how rich you are.”

The retired school textbook seller and grandfather-of-six said someone must have watched him put his wallet in his coat pocket after handing it to his wife to pay for the food.

He said police had shown him CCTV of a group of men who were sitting at the table behind the couple. It is not known how the thief managed to access the cash with his Pin, but Mr Price is adamant he did not have it written down in his wallet or that anyone could have seen him entering the number to withdraw money.

He said: “People need to be aware of who is around and never keep your wallet easily accessible.”

Barclays spokesman Julia Husband said it was investigating the case, but added that the bank refunded innocent victims of fraud.

She urged people to be vigilant when using their cards, not to write down or divulge their Pin and to cover their hand to hide the number when using cash machines.

Anyone with information should contact police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.