  The field of the metal-rich open cluster NGC 6253 has been surveyed in a
search for variable stars. A total of 25 new variables were detected, 14 of
which are bright stars with 13<V<15 mag. This domain was not covered in an
earlier work by de Marchi et al. (2010). Four variables, including three
short-period eclipsing binaries, are candidate blue straggler stars. Two new
detached eclipsing binaries at the turnoff of the cluster and another one on
the subgiant branch were identified. These three systems deserve a detailed
follow-up study aimed at a determination of the age and distance of NGC 6253.
New photometry for 132 stars from the sample of de Marchi et al. (2010) is
provided.
