£3000 Stolen From Bedford Pensioner

25 July 2013, 06:00

An 80 year old woman has had £3000 taken out of her purse in Bedford.

The woman had withdrawn the cash along with a £3000 cheque from the Santander Bank on the high street to pay from a family holiday.

She then walked through the New Look shop and took the lift, along with a group of other people, from the Harpur centre to the car park. 

When she got out the lift she saw that the zip on her bag had been undone and the money stolen. 

It happened on July 3rd at around 11am.

Detective Constable Luke Moore from Bedfordshire Police Robbery Squad, is keen to hear from anyone who has seen this group of people and can identify them, or has possibly been approached by them:

"The group in the lift are males and females, of eastern European origin, including a woman with long black hair and a man in a baseball cap,” said Det Con Moore. “If you recognise them please let us know as soon as possible.

"It’s also a good time to remind people to be really vigilant when they do have large amounts of money on them. 

"Always try to put your purse or wallet inside a zipped up pocket in your bag or coat, and keep the main fastening closed, with the bag’s clasp facing in towards your body. Be especially wary in crowded locations, or where someone seems to be getting too close or bumps into you.

"Unfortunately a lot of purse and wallet thefts are done by organised criminals who look out for older people when they are shopping in the town centre. The good news is that by being extra careful and taking a few extra precautions, you may be able to prevent this from happening to you or someone in your family"