Renewed appeal after thief targets elderly couple
Police in Telford have issued a second appeal for witnesses after an elderly couple were targeted by a thief in Wellington.
Police have also explained that the couple will be receiving a donation from the Police Community Fund, as a goodwill gesture as they recover from the shock they felt about this theft.
The incident itself occurred in the car park at the Morrisons’ Supermarket in Springhill on Saturday 6 April.
At just after 7.15pm, an elderly couple – a man aged 87 and a lady aged 85 – were sat in their car in the car park waiting for their daughter to finish shopping in the store.
Suddenly an unknown man approached their car, opened the door on the passenger’s side and grabbed a handbag off the 85-year-old lady’s lap.
Having grabbed the handbag, the thief made off with it on foot but the couple did not see which direction he ran in.
A police spokesman said: “The couple were left extremely shaken by this incident but thankfully they did not suffer any physical injuries.
“The stolen handbag contained around £60 in cash and various personal documents.
“Although shaken by this incident the couple did provide us with a description of the thief. The man is described as being white, around 5ft 10inches tall and as wearing a grey, ‘Mac’ style coat and a green ‘fisherman’s’ style hat with a brim.
“We would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or anyone who may know the identity of the offender.
“Anyone who believes they may have information about this theft is asked to call West Mercia Police on 101 or 0300 333 3000, quoting incident number 158N 060413.
“Alternatively, please remember Crimestoppers can also be called anonymously on 0800 555 111 if you’d rather leave information without identifying yourself.
“Meanwhile, we can confirm the couple targeted in this incident will be receiving £60 from the Police Community Fund to replace the money they had stolen. The investigating officer was really touched by this incident and decided he wanted to offer the couple some assistance due to their age and vulnerability.
“The elderly lady will also be receiving a bouquet of flowers from West Mercia Police to hopefully make her smile as she recovers from this incident.”
The Police Community Fund (PC Fund) is a registered charity and its main aim is to help victims of crime, old and young, alleviating trauma and stress complicated by financial hardship as a result of the crime. The Fund also gives small grants to local ventures throughout the communities within the West Mercia area.
The charity is partly funded by contributions from employees through payroll, while it also receives 50 per cent of the proceeds of the sale of seized property within West Mercia. Other contributions received are voluntary donations from interested parties and various fund raising events.
Since its launch in 1991, the charity has helped thousands of vulnerable people who have been affected by crime. In the last 10 years the fund has contributed over £150,000 to various individuals and local community projects.
