POLICE have issued a sketch by a quick-on-the-draw resident who witnessed his neighbour's house being burgled.

The thief was captured on paper as he fled a house in Stanley Terrace, Aiskew, North Yorkshire, yesterday morning.

A police spokesman said an elderly man found a stranger at his back door.

The man, who had a North-East accent, said excavations had damaged the resident's water pipes and asked him check them.

"Some way up the garden, the elderly gentleman felt ill and went back to the house," the spokesman said.

"He heard a sound upstairs, and shouted out. A second stranger ran downstairs, pushed past, and bolted with his colleague.

"One of his neighbours had seen the first thief with the elderly man and, being artistically inclined, dashed off a sketch."

Inspector Terry Scaife, from North Yorkshire Police, said: "I've never heard of someone sketching a thief in all my time with the force. Sometimes witnesses make a note of a description or a car registration number, but not do a drawing - it's very unusual."

The thieves got away with money.

The man in the drawing is described as white, swarthy, 6ft tall, slim, in his early to mid 20s, with short black curly hair. He was wearing a short-sleeved light blue shirt and a grey-blue sleeveless jacket.

The second man was white, 5ft 10in, slim, clean-shaven, with short brown hair. He was wearing jeans and a brown jumper.

Anyone with information is asked to call (0845) 6060247.