The attack happened at the couple's home in Holywood

The incident happened in the Belfast Road area of Holywood at about 2130 BST on Tuesday.

The thieves pushed the 89-year-old man against a wall, before running off with a sum of cash.

The man and his 80-year-old wife were left shocked but unhurt.

Councillors met at Belfast City Hall on Wednesday to discuss the spate of recent attacks on elderly people.

Police say more than three burglaries a day took place at pensioners' homes in Northern Ireland during a four-month period this year.

Statistics show that 421 homes of people over the age of 65 were broken into between April and July.

Help the Aged, a charity which campaigns on behalf of older people, is organising a march in Belfast next week to call for action to protect the more vulnerable members of society.