Police issue warning following distraction thefts in Shropshire

People are advised to be particularly careful with handbags, purses and wallets, to keep valuable items secure and to be especially vigilant at checkouts and cash machines. The offenders have been known to distract victims at the supermarkets or in busy town centres in order to steal their bank cards.

One incident occurred on Friday 19th February in the car park of Morrisons on Whitchurch Road in Shrewsbury. The victim, a woman in her 70's got into her car and placed her handbag on the passenger's seat when she was approached by a man, who asked her to write down directions to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. She got out of the door to do so, before getting back in her car to drive off. A security guard at the store noticed and told her to check her purse; she then discovered that her bank card has been stolen. Fortunately she was able to cancel her card before it was used fraudulently.

The man was described as white, with an Eastern European appearance and accent. He was aged approximately late twenties to early thirties, with dark short hair and a full beard. He was wearing a black or navy blue jacket and jeans. He was believed to be with two other men who were also believed to be of an Eastern European appearance. They were both white but with darker complexions.

A similar incident occurred on Wednesday 10th February in the car park of Sainsbury's on Salop Road in Oswestry. The victim, a woman in her 60's, paid with her card at the checkout and believed that there was someone behind her. She got into her car and was approached by a man who again asked her for directions to a hospital. She got out of her car to show the directions on the man's phone and returned to find her purse missing from her bag. When she called to cancel her card she found an unsuccessful attempt had been made to use it at the cash point at the supermarket.

The man was described as white, in his late thirties, with dark short cropped hair. He possibly spoke with a polish accent and was wearing black trousers with rips in the knees.

Inspector Amrik Klair said "We are working closely with stores and supermarkets to reduce these type of thefts. This includes producing a training package for cashiers and security staff, to help them better understand and spot suspicious behaviour.

I would also urge members of the public to watch out for our elderly shoppers when they are in supermarkets and car parks, as they are especially vulnerable to this crime. When in a shopping queue look out for 'shoulder surfing' by criminals in attempts to steal PIN numbers being entered"

We would urge people to be especially vigilant, and to ensure you cover your PIN when using a checkout or cash point. You can find more crime prevention advice on our website. If you see anything suspicious, call 101 as soon as possible.

We would also urge anyone with any information about either of the above incidents to call 101 quoting incident number 287 of the 19th February for the incident in Morrisons and 232 of 10th February for the incident at Sainsbury's.

Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting their website"